


Sober, With Love

by pixiegerms



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drug Use, M/M, Underage Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-12
Updated: 2014-02-02
Packaged: 2018-01-08 11:00:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 31,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1131860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixiegerms/pseuds/pixiegerms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having Draco and Blaise take care of him is nice at first, but Harry soon gets them involved in something he can't quite control. (Canon!AU with Slytherin!Harry, underage sex, alcohol and major drug use starting from age 14.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> I'm slowly migrating all my stuff to archive on AO3, because I don't think I'll be posting anything "new" on this account again. 
> 
> Wrote this in '12 for Draco Tops Harry Fest on LJ. I'll be updating this in parts over the next week or so.

**I.**

_Harry downed the potion in one, pupils quickly dilating and his mind blissfully, gratefully drifting off. Then, he heard knocking on the front door and his eyes widened in panic as he was ripped harshly back to reality._

_Hurriedly, he tossed the empty vials in the trash and opened the drawer in the middle of the dresser he kept all his potions in._

_As he heard the footsteps getting closer, he cast a quick concealment charm over them and buried them under his clothes. He closed the drawer, glanced at himself in the mirror, and then exited his bedroom._

_-_

Harry looked around him. Platform Nine and Three Quarters? What exactly was he supposed to do? He could see the column that separated platforms nine and ten but no sign or any other marking that indicated there was anything more than that.

Just as he was contemplating turning around in frustration, he heard some voices getting closer and closer to him.

"...must be ever so mindful of the friends you make dear, you'll meet all sorts at this dreadful Hogwarts."

Harry turned around quickly and almost sagged in his relief. A lady and her son were coming up behind him, and they were discussing Hogwarts! He walked nervously towards them, not wanting to interrupt the mother.

He inched his way closer to them, waiting for a pause in the conversation.

"The standards have lowered considerably since I attended."

The lady stopped to look up at the signs, and Harry approached her quickly, not wanting to lose his nerve.

"Excuse me, do you know how I get to Platform Nine and Three Quarters?"

The boy, who seemed to be about his age, looked curiously at him. His skin was dark and his hair fell in loose dark curls around his ears. The woman with him had fairer skin, though their faces were similar enough that Harry knew they had to be related, and long dark hair; she reminded him of a film star he'd thought he'd seen on the telly once. He'd never actually seen someone so beautiful in real life before.

"Mum, what's wrong with his clothes?" the boy asked, still staring at Harry.

The lady looked down at him as if he were a particularly grotesque grasshopper that had dared crawl over her pointy leather boots. "This is exactly the type I was telling you about, darling."

Harry knew he was blushing, and he started to mutter himself out of their presence when the lady placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Follow us, if you must," she said with a sigh. She tapped on her son's shoulder with her other hand, and he casually strolled towards the barrier with his cart as if it were a doorway. Then, he disappeared. The woman looked down at Harry pointedly, and he swallowed nervously.

"Just run towards it, dear. You won't crash."

Despite her words, Harry closed his eyes and braced himself for the crash as he followed after the boy. When he opened them, however, he saw a train and sign overhead that read "Platform Nine and Three Quarters". The boy's mother appeared beside him, and when he looked back, he saw a wrought-iron gate where the barrier had been just a moment ago.

Harry was forgotten once more. "I hate to leave you so suddenly, Blaise, but I told your stepfather, I would meet him at half past, and it's now nearly eleven."

The boy, Blaise, nodded, and they shared a hug before she _vanished into thin air_. Harry thought his jaw must have come unhinged. He followed after Blaise, pushing his bulky cart, and asked, "Where did she go?"

He looked strangely at Harry. "Home."

"But she just disappeared."

They found an empty compartment towards the back of the train, and Blaise said, "She Disapparated, of course. Don't your parents ever Apparate?"

Blaise was putting his stuff away overhead, and Harry moved to quickly follow while fumbling for an answer. He finally decided on: "I haven't got any parents. I live with my aunt and uncle."

Blaise shrugged and said, "Well, don't your aunt and uncle Apparate places? They can't possibly fly everywhere."

"They..." Harry started to answer nervously but was interrupted by a voice calling behind them.

"Blaise! I've been looking for you."

They both turned around, and Harry recognized the boy coming towards them as the same rude boy he'd seen when he was getting fitted for robes.

The pale boy recognized him too as he smiled at him as he entered their compartment.

"I remember you," he said, and Harry felt a sudden relief at knowing one more person in this strange, new world. His relief, however, quickly went sour as the boy kept talking. "You were with that giant servant man at Madam Malkin's," he drawled.

"Giant servant man? What are you on about, Draco?" Blaise asked as they sat with the boy in the compartment, Harry quite reluctantly.

"I met him in Diagon Alley, and he was with that man who lives in a hut and works for Hogwarts." He paused, then asked, "What is your name, anyway?"

"I'm Harry Potter, and you are?" Harry said politely, momentarily forgetting his fame in this world. The boy, named Draco apparently, did not answer, and he and Blaise both stared at him.

Finally, Draco spoke up, sneering, "You are not, you fibber."

Harry was taken aback. "Yes, I am!" he said incredulously.

"If you are Harry Potter, then where's your scar?" Blaise asked plainly. Harry lifted up his fringe, not sure why he was feeling such a need to impress these two boys. They both gasped and Draco grinned widely. "Wait until my parents hear about this. It's only fitting, of course, that I should be friends with Harry Potter."

Harry blinked at them. "Are we friends?" he asked tentatively. He wasn't sure he wanted to be friends with this boy who'd insulted Hagrid, who had been nothing but nice to him. Then again, maybe he hadn't been insulting Hagrid. Harry knew he wasn't exactly the best at social interaction, so perhaps he'd just misjudged his words? Either way, having not had a friend before Hagrid came along, Harry thought he couldn't exactly afford to be picky.

"Of course we are, you–"

"Draco! You promised you would sit with me!" a short pug-faced girl wailed, coming into their compartment. She stood at the door with her arms folded. "Crabbe and Goyle are looking for you. You can't just make promises you won't keep, Draco."

Draco did not seem fazed. "We've just met Harry Potter, Pansy."

The girl glanced at Harry, unimpressed. "Of all the lies, really," she said exasperatedly. "Am I expected to believe that this... smartly dressed fellow is Harry Potter?"

Blaise laughed and said, "He's telling the truth, Pansy. I didn't believe it either."

Harry looked down at his oversized clothes and blushed. "They're my cousin's clothes," he mumbled.

"Never mind the way he's dressed, go tell Crabbe and Goyle that I'm not sitting with them."

Pansy huffed. She stalked over and plopped herself down across from Harry, next to Draco. "Go on then. Let's see it, _Harry Potter_ ," she sneered.

Harry blinked, baffled, when Blaise suddenly put a warm hand on his head and pushed his fringe forward for Pansy to see. Harry blushed at the sudden contact and looked at Blaise, startled. Both Draco and Blaise were smirking while Pansy's eyes became as wide as saucers.

"You weren't lying," Pansy said, awed. Then, she seemed to quickly gather herself, and she said, "Well, I could care less about Harry Potter. My dad hates you."

Harry quickly bristled. "I've done nothing to your dad," he said.

At the same time Draco hissed between clenched teeth, "Pansy, shut up."

"I can see why your father would hate Harry Potter, Pansy. After all, Harry did get rid of his dear Voldemort," Blaise said, and both Draco and Pansy's eyes snapped his way.

"You _would_ speak his name, Zabini. My father says your father is a useless drunk who only cares about himself."

Harry was shocked by Draco's words, as they'd seemed to be friends just moments ago. Blaise, however, didn't seem fazed. "I've met your father, Draco, and I can assure you all he cares about is his own stupid power," he said.

"My father is brave. He was proud to serve his Lord."

"Draco," Pansy hissed, "We're not to speak of these things."

"While your father was running errands for a man who was killed by an infant," Blaise said, looking at Harry pointedly, "mine was busy being one of the richest wizards in all of Europe."

Draco glared hotly at Blaise, who stared back, and stood up. "Pansy. We're leaving."

Pansy got up quickly. Her final cool look at Harry turned to disgust as Draco asked, "Harry, are you coming?"

Harry looked at Blaise, whose face was unreadable, and back at Draco. "Erm, all my things are in here, so I think I should... I'll just..." he trailed off, blushing. Draco sneered at him and said, "Fine, who needs you, Potter." The pair left the compartment, sliding the door closed rather harshly.

Blaise closed his eyes and leaned back against his seat, sighing. Harry was mostly bewildered but also a bit concerned, though he wasn't sure why, because unlike Draco, Blaise had not offered him friendship. "Are you two not friends anymore, then?"

Eyes snapping back open, Blaise arched an eyebrow and looked Harry bemusedly. "We are."

"But, just now..." Harry mumbled, wishing he'd never gotten involved with this strange lot of people.

Blaise smiled, and Harry was surprised to realize that he liked how it looked on him. It curved to the left and made him look as if he had a secret that he knew but wouldn't share. "I like them well enough, I suppose. I wouldn't have been friends with them, if I'd had the choice. His father's doing, of course."

Seeing Harry's confused look, he continued, "We have to be in the same social circle. Sort of the same reason he was so eager to be friends with you. It looks good when you surround yourself with people whose names mean something."

Harry couldn't help feeling a bit dejected. "Was that why he wanted to be friends with me?"

Blaise nodded and said, "Though I can't imagine he thought it through completely. I doubt his father would appreciate it."

They were quiet for a while. Then, Harry said, "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What would your father think?"

"My father's not at all concerned about who I'm friends with," Blaise said. "It's my mum that makes me stick it out with those two all year long. She likes having connections."

Harry pulled his knees up to his chest and chewed on his thumbnail, thinking. He wondered whether he should ask Blaise if _they_ were friends. After all, he didn't seem as disdainful of him as he had when they'd first met. But that may have just been because he'd learned his name. Then again, Blaise hadn't seemed as shocked at his identity as Draco or Pansy had. Just as he was working up the courage to ask him, Blaise spoke.

"What house do you suppose you'll be in?" Blaise asked idly, and Harry looked from where he'd been gazing at the scenery outside the moving train to Blaise.

"I'm not sure. Hopefully, not Slytherin," he said, feeling rather proud of himself to say something with certainty.

Blaise's eyebrows shot up. " _Not_ Slytherin? Why ever not?" he asked, frowning.

Harry's smile faltered. "Well..." he started hesitantly, "Well, I was told that they turn out... bad, or something." Seeing no change in Blaise's expression and suddenly desperate to please him, he said, "I mean, that's just what I was told. Not that I believe it or anything."

"Good," Blaise said, eyeing Harry warily. "All my mum's family have been sorted into Slytherin. Draco's and Pansy's have too, so they definitely will be. I was rather hoping I'd be sorted with them."

"But you said only a moment ago that you weren't friends with them."

"I never said we weren't friends. I just said I didn't like them."

"Oh, I understand," Harry said, not understanding at all. Was this how friendships worked? Dudley had never really seemed to like his friends either, so it was possible.

"Besides, you don't expect me to be sorted into Gryffindor, or something, do you?" Blaise said, as if it were obvious.

"No, of course not," Harry said quickly. "I wouldn't want to be sorted into... that house either."

Blaise finally smiled at him again and Harry smiled gratefully back. "Imagine, us being Gryffindors. I don't know as much about the Potters as everyone else seems too, but I can't imagine anyone from Harry Potter's family would be a Gryffindor."

Harry nodded. He couldn't imagine it either, mainly because he couldn't imagine anything about his family at all.

"They're Muggle lovers, the lot of them."

Harry nodded again, not as sure this time. Hagrid had said Muggles were just people who didn't have magic. "My aunt and uncle are Muggles. So is my cousin, Dudley," he said, trying to add something helpful to the conversation.

Blaise's face turned sour again and Harry's face fell; he'd said something wrong.

"Muggles are they? What are they like, then?"

Harry's eyebrows furrowed, and he said emphatically, "Horrible. They're the absolute worst. They hate that I'm a wizard."

Blaise nodded; the hateful look on his face seemed directed at his relatives rather than him, thankfully. "I'm not surprised at all."

Harry shoulders sagged in relief and he said, "Hagrid wouldn't tell me why I've been living with them in the first place, if I'm a wizard. Why couldn't I have been with people who are like me?"

Blaise was silent, his fingers stroking the red material of the seats they were sitting on. After a moment of thought, he said, "I imagine it might have been dangerous for you to be living in the wizarding world, what with all those loonies about, thinking they could bring back that Voldemort."

Harry's heart jumped a bit in his chest and he stuttered, "Bring– Bring him _back_? I thought I killed him."

"Yes, but they weren't sure if you'd killed all of him or just most."

"That doesn't make any sense. Either you're dead, or you're not."

"All I know is that there was a chance that if you hadn't killed him completely, then someone could have brought him back to life somehow."

"So is he dead or not?" Harry said anxiously.

"Draco's family drags me to those stupid parties celebrating his death every year, so I should think so."

Harry sighed, relieved. But then he realized something and said, "Didn't you say Draco's father was involved with Voldemort? Why would he be going to parties celebrating that he's dead?"

"Hasn't anybody told you a thing at all?" Blaise asked exasperatedly. When Harry only fidgeted on his seat, he sighed and said, "Voldemort was evil. What do you think happens to people who associate themselves with evil people?

"Yes, but shouldn't Draco's dad be in jail or something, then? If he's evil?"

Blaise shrugged and sat back in his seat, "Draco's dad isn't evil. Just greedy, I suppose. And even if he were, they can't just toss him in Azkaban. Who's there to say he _was_ working for Voldemort?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Other people who were working with Voldemort?"

Blaise actually laughed this time and though Harry knew he was being laughed at for his ignorance, he couldn't help but smile back. "Why on earth would someone do that? Confessing they knew who worked with him is confessing they worked with him, too. I expect most of them just said Voldemort was forcing them to do it to stop from being put away."

Harry nodded in understanding and was about to respond when their door was slid open suddenly and a girl with bushy brown hair stuck her head in. "Have either of you seen a toad hopping past?" she asked, eyes moving between Harry and Blaise.

Harry instinctively looked at the floor by his feet for a toad, but Blaise looked disparagingly at the bushy-haired girl. "You're not too bright, are you? How would we have seen a toad hopping past with the door closed?"

The girl looked indignant, and she turned her nose up at Blaise. "You might have seen him earlier. There's no need to be rude," she said and turned on her heel, exiting their compartment.

Blaise rolled his eyes. " _There's no need to be rude_ ," he said in a high, indignant voice. It was such a spot on imitation of the girl that Harry couldn't help but laugh.

Harry stuck out his front teeth in an imitation of the girl's own and said, " _Have either of you seen a toad hopping past?_ " Blaise laughed, and Harry felt no small amount of pride in being able to make this confusing, enigmatic boy laugh.

Blaise started talking to him about houses again and how he imagined a busybody girl like that one would be sorted into Gryffindor. As Harry listened to his voice, he hoped that whatever house Blaise was sorted into, he was as well. Then, they could be friends. They could play games and copy off each other's work and sit next to each other in class.

Surely Hagrid must have been exaggerating when he'd said all the bad wizards came from Slytherin. Even if they all had been, that didn't mean that there weren't lots of good ones, or funny ones who had nice smiles and answered his questions, even if they did look at him like he was stupid.

Slytherin, Harry decided, wasn't nearly as bad as he'd thought; it seemed rather appealing, actually.

–

For as long as Harry could remember, he'd wanted a real family. So when the Headmaster had told him he was about to meet his new guardians _and_ that they had been friends of his parents, Harry had been ecstatic. Learning he would never have to go back to the Dursley's again had been information Harry had been waiting to hear all his life. The short walk to Dumbledore's office felt like an eternity, made even longer by the cool glances his new Head of House kept shooting him as he followed along behind them.

When they finally arrived, Harry was preparing himself to be greeted by an onslaught of happy emotions. The only thing he felt at the moment, however, was awkwardness. But that might have been due to the grown man he'd never met before pulling him into a sobbing embrace. The lighter haired man next to him seemed to be upset as well, though he settled for patting Harry's shoulder lightly.

"Oh, Harry, I thought I would never see you again. You look just like him, you do. Oh, Harry," the man sobbed.

Harry blinked into the crying man's chest and patted him awkwardly on the back. After a moment, he added, "There, there."

He looked up at Dumbledore, but even he seemed to be a bit teary eyed. The only one in the room who didn't seemed moved was his new Head of House, Professor Snape, who was tapping his pointy black shoes against the floor impatiently. Finally, he interrupted them. "Are you quite done?"

Harry was let go abruptly, and he stumbled back. The light haired man lightly righted him with the hand that was still on his shoulder. Harry made to thank him when he suddenly realized that he was being spoken to, and he had missed the question.

"Er, come again?" he asked, looking up into the seemingly distressed faces of the adults around him.

"Snivellus asked if you were tired, Harry, but I've told him that there are many things for us to discuss first. So you can just run along back to dinner, now."

Dumbledore spoke up for the first time since he'd taken him from dinner into his office and this whole scene had begun. "I agree with Sirius, though his choice of words is poor," he said, smiling at Sirius, "There are many things for us to discuss, Harry. But perhaps Professor Snape is right. You are probably overtired from the journey."

The man, Sirius, turned back to Harry, wiped his eyes and said, "Look at him, Moony. Isn't he just the spitting image of James?"

The man who was called Moony smiled gently at him and said, "He looks a lot like his mother, as well. Their eyes are the same."

Sirius nodded in what Harry presumed was agreement and looked about to go off into tears again, so Harry started speaking quickly, "Professor Dumbledore said you two are my godfathers?"

Both men smiled at him and nodded. Sirius said, "We knew your parents so very well, Harry. I don't even know where to start."

Harry smiled nervously at the two men and look back at Dumbledore and Professor Snape. "If you don't mind, sirs, I don't mind staying a while."

Snape frowned, and Dumbledore said, "I'm not sure, young Harry. I know you are very curious, but I'm sure this is all very overwhelming for you."

Harry shook his head furiously and said with confidence, "No, I'm not overwhelmed at all."

"If you're certain," Dumbledore said, sighing but following it with a grin at Harry. Dumbledore went back to dinner to give them some privacy, and Professor Snape said he'd be back soon to take him down to his new dormitory, but Harry hoped it wasn't too soon.

Sirius and Remus (Moony was apparently only a nickname) told him essentially what Hagrid and Blaise had. There was an evil man who was trying to control the wizarding world who'd killed his parents and died trying to kill him. Well, he had mostly died. Just like Blaise had been telling him, Harry had only destroyed his physical form.

His family had gone into hiding, but one of their friends betrayed their location to Voldemort.

"I would have done it. With my bare hands, snapped his neck." Sirius said, not looking at Harry, but past his shoulder.

Remus put a hand on his back and soothed him. "You'd have done no such thing, Sirius." Then, looking at Harry, he said, "Hagrid came to take you to your aunt and uncle's, Harry, and Sirius told him where he was about to go."

Sirius gave a dry bark of laughter and said, "I told the man to let me go. I held my wand to his throat and threatened kill him if he didn't let me go after Peter."

It was, as Harry learned, very lucky of Sirius to tell Hagrid what he'd been about to do. Peter would have likely been prepared to be caught out and there's no telling what could have happened to Sirius. As it were, Hagrid and Sirius dropped off Harry and when they'd returned, Peter had been apprehended.

"He almost got away with it, the slimy bastard. He'd transformed and was trying to make his way into the sewers when the Order caught him." Transformed into a rat, Remus explained to him.

After that, not many people still continued Voldemort's cause. Seeing his big plan go down in smoke and what had happened to Peter made lots of people hesitant. Many of his followers were put in Azkaban (wizard's prison) and no more people died.

That wasn't the end of everything, though. Voldemort had left little pieces of his soul in all these different objects and the Order had to track down each one and destroy it. This was why, Harry learned, he'd had to live with the Dursleys all these years.

"We wanted you so badly, Harry. I missed James and Lily so much, I felt like losing you, I'd lost them forever. As if they'd never existed. I was begging Dumbledore to let us keep you, telling him we'd keep you safe and nothing could happen."

"He wouldn't see sense. But he does that often," Remus said, smiling at Harry with calm yet mischievous golden eyes.

When they were finally finished speaking, Harry heard a small cough from behind him. The Headmaster and Professor Snape were standing by the doorway. Dumbledore came over to sit behind his desk and Snape said, "I've just brought down the other students. If you two don't mind, I'll be taking Mr. Potter as well."

Harry hugged Remus and Sirius goodnight, feeling dazed. He followed Snape down to the dungeons and watched him say something to the wall that he didn't register. Harry wasn't surprised when the stone wall slid open, as they had entered the Headmaster's office in a similar way.

When Harry entered, he was glad to see that everybody seemed to have gone to bed already. He'd coped with enough staring when the Headmaster had called his name out in the Great Hall during his sorting, and then even more from his new housemates when he'd sat down at the Slytherin table.

He had been a bit worried they were going to be nasty to him, like Pansy had, but mostly nobody had talked to him. He'd been extremely relieved when Blaise had been sorted with him and he had somebody to talk to. Even more relieved when Draco had been sorted as well, and he realized that whatever animosity there had between them on the train was gone. Draco had no less than chatted his ear off about every other Slytherin in his family and how proud they would all be of him.

When he entered the dorm, he found that none of the boys were asleep. Crabbe and Goyle were looking at cards from some chocolate frogs (which Harry had become addicted to in short order after buying some on the train) on the floor next to one of the beds, Draco and Blaise seemed to be discussing something heatedly and Theodore looked just about asleep on the floor by the window.

Harry tried to be quiet, but he must have made some noise because they all looked up at him as he entered. Theodore, to his surprise, threw up his arms and cried out, "About time you showed up, Potter." Then, pointing at Draco and Blaise, he said, "Can you please choose a bed so we can all get to sleep."

Draco stood up and made his way to Harry, arms crossed, with Blaise following suit. "You're sleeping in this bed here, next to me," Blaise said, gesturing to the two beds by the window.

Draco said, "No, you're sleeping here in this bed." He gestured to one of the three beds up against the stone wall.

Blaise sighed in frustration and said, "Harry, just tell Draco that you're sleeping here so we can all go to bed."

Theodore said impatiently, "Harry probably doesn't want to sleep next to either of you. Maybe he wants the one over there by itself, next to neither of you idiots."

Draco immediately turned on Theodore, sneering at him. "I suppose you want to sleep next to Harry, Nott. Well, I'm sure your father will have something to say about that."

"What about your father, Draco? What would he say?" Theodore said, raising one eyebrow.

Draco rolled his eyes and turned back to Harry, "Ignore him, Harry. He's just jealous he spent his time on the train reading like always, instead of talking to you like I was."

Harry didn't point out that Draco had walked out on him on the train.

Looking around the rest of the room, he saw that of the six beds, two were next to each other against one wall and by a window, three were next to each other on the other wall and the last one was alone by the other window.

He said tentatively, "I can just sleep over there in the middle bed." He pointed to the three beds and Blaise's eyebrows furrowed. "I wanted those beds over there by the window."

The green four-poster bed looked extremely inviting to Harry and he just wanted to sleep. He went over to the middle bed and sat down saying, "Well, I'd like to sleep here."

Blaise sighed in frustration again, but said, "Fine. But I get the one on the right, closer to the window."

Draco shrugged, "Go right ahead, the sound of the lake has been driving me barkers."

Harry got ready for bed and lay down, but despite how tired he was, his mind kept drifting back to his sorting and what the Sorting Hat had said to him.

"This is difficult. Very difficult. I can tell you desire Slytherin, yet such bravery and loyalty. Gryffindor should be a good fit," the battered, old hat had said. Harry had inwardly panicked and mumbled, "No..."

The hat had chuckled lowly in his ear, "Is Gryffindor really so unappealing to you? Very well then. It must be... Slytherin!"

Though he was happy he had been sorted into the house he wanted, he wondered if Gryffindor might have been a better fit for him. He liked Blaise, and Draco was fine as well, but they, along with all the Slytherins he'd met so far, had been so confusing, fighting with each other one minute and then friends the next. Then there was what Blaise had told him about friends being like a commodity among them.

The boy and girl he'd met when he was on the boat across the lake to Hogwarts had been sorted into Gryffindor. They'd been kind to him, if a little bossy on Hermione's part. He'd felt guilty for making fun of her earlier, as she had been helpful to him, explaining different spells and telling him all the different classes she'd read they'd be receiving at Hogwarts.

Ron had been nice to him as well, telling him about Quidditch. It was interesting to see them interact with each other, as they'd acted like an old, bickering married couple, but yet they told Harry they'd only met on the train when Ron had found that toad she had been looking for.

Then, they'd started bickering over who it was that had really found the toad. Harry smiled at the memory. He thought that if he had Ron and Hermione around as well as his Slytherin friends, there was no reason to worry which house he was in.

With that thought, he fell asleep.

–

Harry's first few months at school went by much too quickly, yet excruciatingly slowly at the same time. Harry knew he would miss Hogwarts and his friends, but he couldn't wait to see what it was like to spend Christmas with a real family. Sirius and Remus had said they'd already bought his presents and had been teasing him with hints about them for weeks.

He was sitting at lunch, listening to Draco talk, something he found himself doing quite often. There wasn't much else to do at the Slytherin table. Blaise didn't talk much. He wasn't as quiet as Theodore, but he rarely initiated conversations. Crabbe and Goyle spoke mostly in monosyllabic words and Harry himself had a hard time starting conversations at the Slytherin table.

It was fine, Harry reasoned, because Draco talked enough for all of them.

"Father says he'll get me a new broom for Christmas. He won't tell me what kind, but it's probably a Nimbus 2000. Mother won't tell me what she's getting me, but she always buys me heaps of presents, so there's bound to be something among the lot that I like."

Harry didn't like when Draco talked like this. It showcased how spoiled he was and reminded him too much of Dudley. He shuddered, thinking of the Dursleys. Thank goodness he would never have to spend another Christmas with them again.

They had Defence Against the Dark Arts after lunch and as Harry's housemates left for class, Harry stayed behind. Draco turned back around at the last minute and said to Harry, "Aren't you coming?"

Harry shook his head, hair falling into his eyes. He brushed it away and said, "I'm waiting behind for Ron and Hermione."

Draco frowned and Harry rolled his eyes, already knowing what was coming next. "Look, I'm not going to have you lecture me on my friends again."

Draco simply huffed and said haughtily, "Well, I certainly can't control the company you keep." Then he turned on his heel and went to catch up with Blaise.

As Harry walked towards the Gryffindor table, he heard Draco fading voice saying, "I can't stand those Gryffindors. Always taking Harry and acting like they're so superior to everybody else." He heard Blaise laugh and then they were out of earshot.

Harry reached the Gryffindor table, where everybody was already getting up to go to their classes. Hermione smiled at him in greeting and Fred said to him, "We missed you at dinner yesterday, Harry."

It was a consequence of his friendship with Ron and Hermione that he was friends with most of the other Gryffindors. Much to the bane of the rest of his housemates, Harry would often eat his meals with them.

Ron spoke up and said, "Me and Harry were lucky enough to have dinner in detention yesterday. Snape was punishing us for something stupid, as always."

Fred and George laughed and Fred said, "I'm sure you didn't deserve it, little brother. You are the picture of innocence."

"A chip off the old block, he is," George added.

After joint Defence Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors, Harry told Ron and Hermione he'd catch up with them. He waited behind for everyone to file out so he could talk to Professor Lupin, who was shuffling papers idly at his desk.

"Professor," he said, getting his attention. Professor Lupin looked up, tired brown eyes brightening at the sight of Harry. "I've told you, Harry, you should call me Remus when we're not in class."

Harry smiled back, "I just wanted to make sure you were really alright with me bringing Ron and Hermione over for Christmas."

"Of course."

"I just don't want to be a burden or anything."

"Harry, you can bring over as many friends as you like. Though, between you and me, Sirius doesn't like some of your housemates very much."

Harry frowned and asked, "Why?"

Remus smiled nervously, "Your friends, many of their fathers were Death Eaters. In fact, Theodore Nott's father was a sort of apprentice of Voldemort's for years."

"Yes, but Theodore isn't like that. Neither are any of them."

"I agree, Harry. Theodore is a polite boy, very studious. As for some of your other housemates, I'm not too sure. Regardless, I'm merely repeating what Sirius thinks. I bear no grudges against the children of my enemies."

Harry nodded and said, "Maybe I should invite Blaise. So I can show Sirius that not all Slytherins are bad."

Remus' smile faltered and he said, "I'm not sure that's such a good idea, Harry. Besides, I was under the impression that Mr. Zabini would be spending the holiday with his family in Italy."

Harry shook his head and said, "Blaise is going home with Draco." Then, he hesitated on his next words, thinking Blaise wouldn't like him talking to Remus about what they'd talked about. Blaise had told him that his father always had very young men around him and they got drunk a lot.

"Men?" Harry had said, eyes widening. "Are they... are they together? Like that?"

Blaise had nodded, giving him the look that Harry saw often. The look that meant Harry was asking something stupid again. "A lot of wizards are in relationships with other wizards. At least, in Italy, though I expect it's the same here in England."

When he said that, Harry thought about Sirius and Remus. They seemed like such good friends, and they were living together in Sirius' house. They'd never kissed or anything in front of him, but he'd thought he'd heard them talking very intimately once before, and they did share a quarters here in Hogwarts. It occurred to Harry that it should have been obvious to him that they were in a relationship before.

"Anyway," Blaise continued, "I wouldn't say any of my father's little boyfriends are in a relationship with him. They're just after his money."

Once again, Harry had been struck by how much more mature than him Blaise seemed to be. He never had conversations like this with Ron and Hermione, or any other Gryffindor. He wondered if it was just Blaise's nature that he seemed so much older, or whether it was a common Slytherin trait to seem older than their years. He doubted it was the latter, as Draco acted like he was five most of the time.

"What about your mum? Can't you stay with her?"

Blaise had let out a bark of laughter, "Stay with her? The whole reason I'm friends with Draco and Pansy is because she hates me being around her for more than a few minutes. She says she doesn't want me getting too attached to whatever bloke she's seeing this year, but it's the same thing every Christmas."

He'd said this so bitterly that Harry had wanted to pry more into it, but he didn't. Instead, he'd just nodded and tried to change the subject.

"Blaise's father's company makes him uncomfortable," Harry settled on saying simply.

Remus nodded and said, "Well, I still don't think it's a very good idea, Harry."

As it turned out, Remus had been right. Draco was huffy when Blaise cancelled his plans with him and told him he was going to stay with his two most hated professors over Christmas. Then, he'd gotten angry with the both of them when Harry had told him he wasn't invited.

"Remus says I can only have three friends over, Draco," he lied, looking at him in what he hoped was an apologetic way.

Draco sneered at the both of them and said, "You obviously have no problem associating with riff-raff, Potter, but I expected more from you, Zabini. As if I'd want to stay with that Mudblood and the blood traitor. I can't imagine the sort of presents they must be getting you for Christmas. Perhaps some top of the line dirt, or a hand-me-down jumper."

Then, when Sirius couldn't stop "subtly" asking Blaise where his parents had been during the war, Remus had gotten angry at him. The four of them listened at the door while they fought and Sirius had said some not too nice things about Harry's housemates and their families. To make matters worse, Harry hadn't taken into account Blaise's own prejudices against Ron and Hermione, and things had been nothing short of tense between the three of them.

But overall, it hadn't been a terrible two weeks. Despite its awkwardness, it had been a much better Christmas than any Harry had ever spent with the Dursleys and for that, he was grateful.

When they got back to Hogwarts, Draco didn't seem upset with him any longer. As he talked endlessly about the marvellous fun he, Crabbe and Goyle had had over the holiday, Harry realized that because of Draco's obnoxious boastful tendencies, he always seemed to forget when he'd been upset with someone. Harry also realized he was trying to make him jealous, but somehow he found that overwhelmingly cute, and also flattering. So he nodded along at the right parts and exclaimed in surprise at all the different presents Draco had gotten.

The rest of the year was uneventful, but not boring. The most exciting thing that happened to Harry was the weekend in February that there had been a big snowball fight among all the years at school. Only some of the sixth and seventh years hadn't been there, probably off studying. It had been the most fun Harry had had in his entire life. Even Snape had thrown a snowball at a wayward fourth year who'd accidentally hit him.

Then, Draco and Blaise had started specifically targeting Hermione and forgot about the others. Though that only lasted until Fred and George charmed each snowball they threw to follow Draco and Blaise around until it hit them.

The two had gone back inside muttering and grumbling about how they had to change their clothes and Harry and Ron had almost died laughing. But when Draco and Blaise didn't emerge, Harry went back inside to look for them.

To his surprise, Harry found them arguing rather loudly about the Christmas presents they'd given him. Blaise seemed to think that his present of a big, very expensive looking teddy bear that sang Christmas carols was much better than Draco's giant chocolate frog. They argued heatedly over which one Harry had preferred until Blaise stormed off in Harry's direction, muttering. Harry quickly pretended like he had just entered the room.

Blaise sneered at Harry as he went past."Oh look, Harry's here. I'll leave you two alone, as Harry so clearly prefers you above all, Malfoy."

Harry watched Blaise exit the dungeons worriedly, then Draco said, "Don't worry about him, Harry. He's just upset you preferred my frog over his stupid bear."

Harry frowned and said, "I liked both, Draco. Why do you always have to make everything into a competition?"

"I do not!" Draco said incredulously.

Angry now, Harry nodded his head emphatically. "Yes, you do! You're always competing with Hermione's grades and you never stop moaning about how she's always beating you. And you and Blaise are always trying to one up each other over me. Who helps me with Potions more, who's sitting next to me in class, it's annoying."

Draco blushed and said, "He's the one who won't quit telling me how much you prefer him, and you did invite him over Christmas and not me."

Harry softened and he said to Draco, "You're both my friends, Draco. Stop competing with each other."

Draco nodded and seemed to get the point. At least, Harry hoped he got the point. This weird fighting over him they were doing was getting old.


	2. Part II

**II.**

_Plastering a wide smile on his face, Harry opened the door._

_"You're here early," he said calmly, hoping against hope they couldn't tell what he'd been doing being they'd arrived. Ron and Hermione's faces were grim, but Harry kept his smile up nervously._

_"Harry, we need to talk," Hermione said._

_Harry's face instantly fell, as he remembered the last time she'd said that same thing. He was instantly defensive._

_"Yeah, what about?" he said._

_Hermione chewed her nail, a habit she had been desperately trying to break since their days at Hogwarts. This caused Harry to worry a bit and he said, "Well?"_

_"It's about Draco."_

_-_

Harry was short. He'd long accepted this as fact.

But yet when he'd come back from his summer holiday at the Weasleys to start his fourth year and realized that not only were most boys in his year taller than him, but little Colin Creevey now was too, he'd been shocked. Colin was not so much taller that he had to tilt his head to look at his face, like he had to with Ron and Blaise, but enough that it put Harry in a bad mood for most of the first week he was back at Hogwarts.

"Cheer up, there are plenty of girls still shorter than you," Colin said cheerfully, smiling at him.

Harry didn't look up and continued stirring his porridge glumly. "Shouldn't you be getting back to your own table, Colin?" Harry said flatly.

Colin just laughed and said, "Why would I sit with the Hufflepuffs when you're over here?"

Harry groaned but didn't fight it. They'd had this conversation at least once a week, every time Harry sat with the Gryffindors, for the past three years.

"You're still taller than the first years, Harry," Seamus said, grinning unhelpfully.

Colin's face got impossibly brighter. "Oh! That reminds me! Have you met my brother Dennis?"

Harry immediately buried his head in his hands. "There's two of you?"

Colin merely laughed again, impervious as ever to Harry's constant rejection. "He was sorted into Hufflepuff with me, though he wanted Slytherin, I'm sure."

Ron looked up from where he'd been stuffing his face with the sausages and eggs that topped his plate. "Slytherin? Why in the world did he want to be sorted into Slytherin?"

Harry suspected he knew why. His fears were confirmed when Colin said, "To be with Harry, of course. I've told him all about Harry. I myself begged the Sorting Hat to put me in Slytherin, but it said no."

Ron frowned and said, "Maybe if Harry had been in Gryffindor, like he was supposed to, you'd have been sorted with him."

Hermione nodded her head, looking up from her book. "You wouldn't fit in at all in Slytherin, Colin. I'm sure the hat could have found room for you in Gryffindor."

It was common knowledge now that Harry had almost been sorted into Gryffindor. It was the topic of many long rants from Ron and lots of laughter from the Slytherins.

"Honestly, Harry, you in Gryffindor?" Draco had said when Harry told him.

Harry had bristled and pointed out to him that most of his friends were Gryffindors, but Draco had just rolled his eyes and said, "You wouldn't last two minutes in there."

Harry had been about to protest when Blaise spoke up saying, "You like breaking the rules too much."

All the Slytherins that had been in earshot had laughed. Pansy had looked up from where she was braiding Daphne's hair and drawled, "Disregard for the rules isn't entirely Slytherin, you know. Gryffindors get themselves into trouble as well."

Blaise pondered that for a moment, then said, "That's because they don't think before they do things. Harry loves getting his way too much to ever get caught."

Harry blushed, but didn't deny the sentiment. There had been no small amount of times Harry had sneaked out after hours, armed with his invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map Fred and George had given him. Though there had been many close calls over the years, Harry had only ever been caught once by Snape, sneaking food back from the kitchens.

Colin was rambling on about something or other, but Harry soon started drifting off. Before he knew it, he was jerked sharply awake to sniggers all around him. Colin and Hermione were the only ones not grinning.

Hermione asked, "Are you getting enough sleep, Harry?" as Colin used his hand to wipe porridge off the side of Harry's face.

Harry blushed furiously, casting his eyes down to the table in embarrassment. _Honestly, of all times to be getting these feelings_ , he thought, frustrated. He wasn't as confused about why he was more attracted to boys than girls as he had been, but getting those butterflies every time any male touched him was starting to irritate him.

The clearing up of the confusion he'd started feeling in his third year had been mostly because he'd spent half the summer flirting with Ron's older brother, Charlie. They'd even kissed a little bit once, before Charlie had broke the kiss off, mumbling nonsense about Harry's age.

Unfortunately for him, Fred and George noticed his blush and Fred gave a little wolf whistle, while George said, "Harry, isn't he a bit young for you?"

Harry's blush deepened and he said, "Don't encourage him," at the same time Colin said, "I'm only a year younger."

Harry saw people gathering their things for class and exiting the Great Hall and he quickly moved to follow. Colin bounded up behind him, asking, "Harry, will you sit at my table with me during lunch? I want you to meet Dennis."

Harry looked at Colin's hopeful face and inwardly strangled himself as he nodded in agreement to the request. It hadn't seem that bad the first time Colin had suggested it, but he quickly learned that Draco and Blaise got particularly huffy with him whenever he sat at the Hufflepuff table.

It was partly due to a general dislike for Colin's muggle heritage that they didn't approve, but mostly an intense, burning hatred for Zacharias Smith. He apparently shared some history with Draco, dating back to their days in what Harry learned was the wizard version of primary school. Harry would never say it aloud, but he found it quite amusing that Draco despised someone who was so similar to himself. The one time he'd even alluded to the fact, Draco had refused to talk to him for the rest of the day.

Lunch came and went relatively peacefully. Harry met Colin's brother Dennis and was pleased to find that he was very much shorter than him. He wasn't nearly as pleased about the fact that Dennis was basically a clone of his brother, though shorter and lacking the camera.

Some of the Hufflepuffs had wolf whistled when Harry had sat down at their table. Despite the copious amounts of blushing and reassuring Colin and the others' that it wasn't like that, they continued teasing him. Harry was immensely grateful the person in question they were teasing him about was sitting with the Gryffindors, talking Quidditch with Ron.

The term went by without incident, and before he knew it, the time for the Triwizard Tournament was upon them. Sirius had been uncharacteristically gloomy the past week, but Harry didn't pry. He knew the anniversary of his parents' death was approaching and he hated talking about that with his godfathers. He much preferred to hear stories of the happy times they'd had in Hogwarts, rather than the horrible way their lives had ended.

Harry started getting nervous when the day came that all the houses and the students that had come from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were allowed to start putting their names in the cup. Cedric had told him he was going to enter his name and Harry was worried.

Harry and Cedric had started being friends the year before. Harry had never paid him much mind, only passing him in the halls sometimes and seeing him at the Hufflepuff table when he sat with Colin. It might have stayed that way, but Harry ended up going to support Ron and Ginny in the first match of the year that was meant to be Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff. He'd met Cedric after the match when the Hufflepuff team and the Gryffindor team had all been allowed to go to Hogsmeade with their friends.

Really, Harry was grateful that Draco had gone and gotten himself bitten by Buckbeak, because he'd inadvertently brought him and Cedric together in a friendship that might not have been otherwise.

That part of his third year was a surprisingly fond memory for Harry. He remembered bringing Draco bags and bags of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans to comfort him as he lay in his death throes in the infirmary. That was Draco's side of the story, anyway.F

Harry distinctly remembered that Draco had planned to have his father get rid of the poor Hippogriff. But when Harry had threatened to tell Professor Vector exactly which Ravenclaw had been writing his Arithmancy essays, he'd soon changed his mind.

He sometimes wondered if it would have been different had he not been sorted into Slytherin with Draco. He couldn't imagine whom Draco would have spent most of his time with. He seemed fond of Crabbe and Goyle, as they were good at backing him up when he picked fights with people, but Harry didn't think they'd make good conversation partners.

Blaise was friendly with Draco as well, but he'd started becoming more and more introverted that year. It was as if Harry had become the only common factor the two of them had between them anymore.

There was also Theodore and the girls, but the girls mostly stuck to themselves, gossiping about the sixth year Ravenclaw boys and girls from other houses. Draco wasn't friends with Theodore, but then again not many people were friends with Theodore, who was always either reading down in their dorm or studying in the library.

Remus had told Harry once that he thought that without Harry there to tell Draco off for the things he did, Draco might have turned out as a little carbon copy of his father. Which was not a good thing, he was told.

"You're going to get fat, you know," Harry had said casually, looking at Draco over his cards.

Draco had looked up at him over his own cards and said incredulously, "Me? Fat? You've lost your marbles. I can eat as many as I want and I won't gain a single pound. Speaking of, go get me some more, I'm nearly out."

Harry had smirked and said, "I've always thought you were just vindictive, selfish and manipulative, Draco. But it turns out you just want people to pay you some attention."

"Think you're smart because you know big words, Potty?" Draco had said, sneering at him. He popped another bean in his mouth and said, "I would have just had Father get rid of that feral creature if I'd known this was the kind of abuse against my character I would be suffering."

"Lucky you're in here instead of playing against Cedric Diggory, Draco. I don't think your ego would have survived any more public humiliation," Blaise had said from where he'd been sitting at the foot of the bed, laying down his cards next to Draco's feet.

"You should be the last person telling anyone about their egos, Zabini," Draco said, laying down his own cards. Harry, listening to the banter, belatedly realized he'd won the card game. "Here I am, lying in the hospital wing with my arm practically falling off, and all you two can do is criticize me."

Thanks to Draco's theatrics, Cedric had ended up going to the Quidditch World Cup with him. As he lived quite close to the Burrow, where Harry had been staying last summer, they'd all gone together. It was one of the most fun times Harry had ever had, camping out and cheering on their favourite teams.

Harry liked Cedric a lot, and they'd gotten much closer over their time after the World Cup, when Cedric had come back to spend the rest of it with him at the Weasleys'. After all that business with Charlie, Harry had thought Cedric would be a welcome distraction, but Cedric had ended up being another confusing factor in his life.

It had only gotten worse when, after the announcement of the Triwizard Tournament at the beginning of the term, their relationship had slowly begun to change. Every time Cedric would talk about putting his name in the cup, Harry would scrunch up his nose and complain. Then Cedric would grin in that annoyingly heart fluttering way and say something along the lines of how cute Harry was when he was worried.

It was subtle things, like this weird flirtation, along with Harry's burgeoning sexuality, that Harry suspected was the cause for the shift in the dynamic of their relationship.

Harry had planned on sitting at his House's table for the Hallowe'en feast, but here he was, sitting next to Cedric at the Hufflepuff table, chewing his lip nervously as he waited for the Goblet of Fire to choose the champions.

Viktor Krum, from Durmstrang, was chosen. Everybody cheered loudly, as most everyone in the school had been obsessed with the Quidditch star from the moment he'd stepped foot on Hogwarts grounds.

Without much thought, Harry's hand found Cedric's under the table and he laced their fingers together. Cedric look down at Harry in surprise, but he smiled nonetheless. Harry, despite his fears about the tournament, felt a little light-headed when Cedric started rubbing nervous circles into his palm with his thumb.

Then, Fleur Delacour was chosen from Beauxbatons. She stood up, cheeks flushing in delight, as she was applauded. The cheers were noticeably mostly male, and Harry felt a cold stab of jealousy travel up into his throat. His fingers were still interlaced with Cedric's own as he glanced over at the Slytherin table and saw that Blaise and Draco were still busy talking to Viktor Krum.

Finally, the Hogwarts champion was about to be announced. Cedric's name was called and Harry felt his tension deflate. He was scared for Cedric, but he was glad the anticipatory wait was over. He glanced over at the Slytherin table again and saw that the sixth year Slytherin who'd put his name in was scowling over at Cedric.

After the feast ended, everybody filed out of the Great Hall, chatting loudly about the Tournament champions. Harry had assumed that he and Cedric were going to part ways once they reached the hallway, but to his surprise Cedric pulled him by the arm around a corner and into a deserted classroom.

Heart beating wildly, Harry looked up at Cedric, having to tilt his head back a bit to look him in the face. Cedric looked nervously at Harry and asked, "Are you okay?"

Harry was a bit taken aback. "Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I know you were hoping I wouldn't be picked."

Harry frowned slightly at him and said, "I'm happy for you, Cedric. I'm just worried."

Then, to Harry's complete surprise, Cedric leaned down and kissed him.

Harry's eyes shot wide open and Cedric's hands wandered down to his waist to hold him as they kissed. Hesitantly, Harry kissed back, hoping Cedric wouldn't realize that Harry's only experience with kissing had been an utter disaster behind a shed. He seemed to be doing alright, because Cedric moaned a bit into the kiss and deepened it.

Shyly, Harry brought his arms to wrap around Cedric's neck. Cedric made a little noise and ran his tongue across Harry's bottom lip. Harry guessed what he wanted and opened his mouth a bit, giving way for Cedric to slip his tongue inside to touch Harry's own.

Just as Harry started feeling overwhelmed with how aroused he was, someone burst through the door. Harry and Cedric leaped apart, panting, as Harry heard Draco's voice say, "Harry, are you in here?"

Cedric and Harry both came out from the shadows of the corner. Seeing Harry, Draco said, "There you are. I know you like the Irish team, but..." Draco trailed off, seeing Cedric standing behind Harry.

Cedric smiled awkwardly and said, "Goodnight, Harry." He exited with a nod at Draco who looked suspiciously at Harry.

"What were you two doing in here?" Draco asked.

Harry shook his head quickly and said, "Nothing, we weren't doing anything. What were you saying about the, erm, Irish team?"

Draco obviously didn't believe him, but he continued, "Viktor Krum was signing autographs for some people, but he's probably gone to bed by now. I got one for you."

Harry nodded his thanks, too rattled to be surprised at Draco's uncharacteristic thoughtfulness, and they went back to their common room, then to bed.

–

Harry felt wet and cold. He could hear a dull roar going on somewhere above his head, but it was faint enough that it didn't really bother him. And then suddenly, it did.

His eyes shot open and his lungs filled gratefully with air he didn't know he was lacking, to be greeted with the sight of the back of the neck of a panting, dripping wet Cedric Diggory. Before he had time to ask what was going on, Fleur came out of the water as well, carrying what looked like a smaller version of herself on her own back.

"The second task?" Harry asked weakly above the noise of the crowd, feeling like he could barely get the words out through the air rushing into his lungs. Cedric didn't answer as Viktor Krum also popped up out of the water with Hermione at his side.

Contrary to the confusion Harry felt, Hermione was positively glowing. Harry didn't understand until Hermione said faintly to Viktor, "Did it take you very long to find me?"

That night, Harry pouted and slid down further in his seat at the dinner table as Cedric laughed next to him and said, "Goodness, Harry, it's not like you were about to die."

Harry looked up at him furiously, "You don't know that. The least you or Hermione could have done was tell me what was going to happen."

"Hermione told me and Ron not to say that she'd told us."

"Ron knew too?"

Cedric sighed and said, "Hermione thought that if we told you, you'd tell someone in Slytherin and they would tell Viktor."

Harry pouted some more and said, "That doesn't even make any sense. So what if Viktor knew?"

"She said it might have given him an advantage in the competition, but I suspect she just wanted him to be surprised when he saw her floating there."

Harry smiled a bit at this, but remembered himself and frowned again. "You still should have told me."

Cedric leaned down next to him, putting his mouth close to Harry's ear so only he would be privy to what he said next. "How about I make it up to you? We could finish what we started at the Yule Ball."

Harry flushed and said, "Don't talk about that here, Cedric."

Cedric only grinned at him and continued his dinner.

The Yule Ball had started out as the perfect night. Then, Draco had ruined it.

Ever since he had almost caught them in the abandoned classroom, he'd taken to following them around and generally making it impossible for Harry to have any alone time with Cedric. He kept showing up wherever they happened to be, cronies usually intact.

This lack of privacy was also making it almost impossible for Harry to discern the true nature of their relationship. Sure, they'd kissed a few times and Cedric seemed to really like him, but they'd yet to sit and talk about it. Did people even sit and talk about their relationship status? Harry didn't know and couldn't find out because Draco was always breathing down his neck.

Harry had been a bit tipsy from the punch Fred and George had managed to spike beneath the adults' noses, so when Cedric had whispered in his ear about wanting to go somewhere more private, Harry had agreed. Unbeknownst to him at the time, Draco had excused himself from his date, Pansy Parkinson, and followed them outside.

Cedric and Harry had collapsed in a fit of giggles against a tree, and as they kissed Harry found himself being braver with his hands than he'd ever dared to before. Cedric seemed to like this turn of events because Harry could feel his erection pressing into his hip. The hands that were covering his bum squeezed as Harry's hands wandered under his shirt to feel toned Quidditch muscles.

Their kissing got more intense and Cedric parted their lips only to whisper heatedly to Harry, "Let's go up to my dorm. Everyone's at the party so it'll be empty." Cedric hadn't waited for an answer and instantly starting leaving soft kisses all over Harry's face, slowly trailing downwards.

Unfortunately for Harry, as soon as Cedric had ducked his head to suck on his neck, he saw over his shoulder the quite shocked face of Draco Malfoy staring at them. But, unlike a normal person, Draco hadn't turned away from the intimate scene in embarrassment. Instead, he'd cleared his throat loudly, causing Cedric to jump away from Harry in surprise. "Blaise is looking for you, Harry," Draco had said plainly, then turned and walked back to the party.

Harry had sighed in frustration, his giddy buzz from earlier gone. Another perfect moment, ruined by Draco Malfoy.

"It's okay, Harry, you can go," Cedric had said, smiling a bit.

Harry had frowned and said, "I just..." He sighed again. Despite his anger at Draco, he'd started feeling guilty again for spending less and less time with Blaise. "Maybe it's important," he finished lamely.

Cedric nodded and leaned down for one last kiss. And then another, and then a few more until Harry broke them apart. "I should go," he said and they parted ways.

Harry had approached a Ravenclaw in his year and asked him if he'd seen Blaise. The Ravenclaw had been obviously drunk, but Harry had managed to make out that he remembered Blaise saying he was going to bed a while ago.

On his way down to the dungeons, he'd heard Draco and Pansy talking outside one of the bathrooms. He hadn't planned on stopping to listen, but when he heard his name, he paused.

"The party's not over, come on," Harry had heard Pansy saying drunkenly.

Draco had sighed and said, "Whoever's idea it was to put alcohol in drinks that fourteen year olds have access to is clearly deranged."

Pansy either hadn't understood what he'd said or was ignoring him, because she'd just said, "Come back and dance with me."

Draco had brushed her off saying, "Go back to the party, Pansy. I'm going to bed."

Pansy had scowled. "You're just going off to look for that silly old Potter again," she said, sneering at him.

She hobbled off angrily in her high heels and Draco went off in the opposite direction. Harry's eyes widened and he'd continued down the hallway quickly, hoping he could turn the corners fast enough so that Draco wouldn't notice him. He wasn't so lucky.

"Heading to bed, are you, Potter?" Draco had drawled at him, coming up behind him.

"I was about to go see what Blaise wanted, Draco," Harry had said through gritted teeth.

Malfoy had laughed and said, "Oh, I lied about that."

Harry's jaw fell open in surprise at the candour of the other boy. "Why would you do that?" Harry had asked, furious that Draco had managed to spoil yet another moment that was supposed to be his and Cedric's.

Draco had just sniffed daintily at him and said, "I was only protecting your virtue, Harry. Who knows what that Diggory would have tried to make you do."

Furious now, Harry had grabbed a surprised Draco by his robes and backed him up against the stone wall. Though he had to tilt his head to look at the bigger boy, Harry was undaunted. "Cedric wasn't making me do anything. You just hate seeing me happy."

Releasing Draco's robes roughly, Harry had said, "Stop fucking following me around."

They continued the walk back to the dungeons, with Draco complaining about Harry's rough treatment all the way. Harry wanted to rip his hair out. Or, preferably, Draco's.

The common room was eerily empty. When they'd got up to the dorm, Harry had seen the outline of Blaise in his bed. The two of them tried to be quiet, but Blaise had awoken, hair mussed, and sat up to squint sleepily at them in the low light. "Is the party over?"

"It's over for us. Harry almost became The Boy Who Was Shagged tonight," Draco had said, taking off his dress robes to reveal the plain black trousers and shirt he wore underneath.

Blaise had quirked an eyebrow and sat up straighter. "What is he talking about, Harry?"

"Nothing. He's just being a prat, as usual."

Draco laughed bitterly and got into his own bed saying, "It's not nothing, he and Cedric Diggory have been–"

Harry cut him off, saying irritatedly, "Shut up!" He got into his own bed and pulled to covers up to his chin, regretting not for the first time that his bed was in between theirs.

"No, Harry. Tell me what you and that bloody Triwizard ponce have been up to," Blaise said. Harry wanted to tell them both to sod off, but for some reason, he had a hard time denying them.

"We're just really good friends."

"Harry, tell me the truth," Blaise had said, getting up to sit with his legs hanging off his bed, facing Harry.

Harry looked away from his face, very aware of Draco listening to their exchange.

"We're not... in a relationship, or anything."

Draco had laughed sarcastically behind him. "Right, so you go around snogging just anyone against trees? And in empty classrooms?"

Harry didn't say anything, but his blush gave him away. Blaise didn't say anything back. He just got under his covers again and turned away from Harry.

"It's not... Blaise, Draco, I– "

"Shut up and go to sleep, Harry," Draco had interrupted, his voice not betraying his emotions at all.

Harry didn't know why he wanted to apologize. He hadn't done anything wrong.

After all that, Harry was of course cautious when the two of them had finally managed to get some alone time. They were behind the Quidditch hut where all the equipment was kept, and Cedric had assured him that nobody would come behind here, much less on a Sunday afternoon.

They didn't immediately start kissing, as Harry would have expected. Instead, Cedric lay his head on the grass, smiling at Harry to join him.

"I swear, Harry, sometimes I think you really should have been in Gryffindor," he said, as Harry lay down next to him.

Harry looked at him curiously and turned on his side to face him. "What makes you say that?"

"For one, you're here with me now. You're the only Slytherin I know that hangs around people from other houses."

"How many other Slytherins do you really know?" Harry asked, teasing him.

Cedric flushed and said, "I guess not many, but you're the only Slytherin I've ever seen at our table."

Harry grinned and said, "I'm like the interhouse fairy. I flutter about from table to table creating joy."

Cedric laughed and there was a pleasant silence for a few moments, then Cedric said, "I have to tell you something, Harry."

Harry instantly had what he thought was a mini heart attack, but he thought he managed to keep a calm, Slytherin cool. "Oh? What's that?" he asked nonchalantly.

Cedric chewed his lip for one agonizingly suspenseful moment, before he said, "I really think I can win the tournament, Harry."

Harry deflated. _I don't know why I got my hopes up_ , he thought dejectedly. "I think so too, Cedric," he said, trying not to sound disappointed.

Cedric smiled widely and said, "Do you know what that would mean for me? For my family?" He hesitated then said, "For us?"

Despite his disappointment, Harry smiled at Cedric referring to them as "us". "It's a lot of money at stake. Plus, you'll be famous."

"It's not just that... I really like you, Harry."

Harry's smile dropped and his mouth formed a small "o" in surprise at the turn in the conversation. "I like you too, Cedric," he said hesitantly.

"I know we haven't been friends for very long, but I think... I don't know what I'm saying," Cedric said, laughing nervously.

"It's okay, Cedric. I understand," Harry said.

Cedric smiled and pressed his lips down against Harry's. He wasted no time licking at them for entrance into his mouth, and Harry immediately granting him permission. Cedric broke the kiss off momentarily to sit up and lean against the shed, pulling Harry into his lap. Harry wrapped his legs around Cedric's hips and resumed the kiss, all the blood in his body flowing south at the intimate position they were in.

They were alone, kissing behind a shed, and Harry was feeling much older than his fourteen years. Naughty, even. But his confidence quickly disappeared as Cedric took one of his hands in his own and placed it innocuously against the bulge the front of his trousers. When Harry didn't do anything but sit there, Cedric broke the kiss and panted, "Touch me, Harry."

He pressed Harry's hand down a bit and Harry gasped softly. He wanted to protest, say he wasn't ready, but one look at Cedric's lust filled eyes had him admonishing himself for being selfish. Cedric had won all the tasks so far, he was attractive and everybody wanted to be his friend. But he'd chosen Harry, and Harry would be damned if he let that go just because he was a bit nervous to touch his prick.

It was with that thought that Harry started moving his hand timidly against the bulge. Cedric gasped and threw his head back. "H-Harder, Harry. Press down more."

Harry did as he was told, using his palm to rub firmly up and down on the outline of Cedric's cock that he felt through the trousers. He was in a bit of a daze, as Cedric unzipped his trousers and pulled his cock out in the open for Harry to touch.

Biting his lip nervously, Harry looked up at Cedric's face. But Cedric was looking down at where Harry had wrapped his fingers around his prick and was moving it slowly up and down. Harry saw some pearly liquid gathered near the top, so on the up stroke he swiped his thumb over the head and spread it down the rest of the shaft.

Harry was startled when Cedric moaned and said, "Oh, fuck, do that again." He tightened his hand some more and flicked his thumb over the head again, hardly believing he was really doing this. As Harry grew more confident with a prick in his hand, he fell into a rhythm, with Cedric sometimes speaking up to tell him how he wanted it, or to go faster. He heard Cedric's breathing become choppy so he moved his hand quicker, looking in awe at the way his cock had flushed red and was drooling copiously.

Harry looked up and saw that Cedric had opened his eyes. Panting, Cedric said, "I'm close, Harry." Then, unembarrassed in his aroused state, he said, "Put it in your mouth."

Harry's eyes widened and looked down, wondering if he could do what Cedric was asking of him, then they flickered up again to glance at Cedric's face, but his eyes had closed again. Harry unwrapped his legs from around Cedric and got down on his knees in the grass. He bent so that he was on his elbows and knees, and was facing Cedric's cock. It looked hard as steel and impatient, as if it were waiting for Harry to get on with it.

Gingerly, Harry wrapped his hand around the base and licked the head of it, finding that the taste was not entirely unpleasant. More confident now, Harry did it again and suddenly found himself with a mouth full of cock as Cedric's hips thrust upwards. Harry choked and pulled back, startled. "Sorry, Harry." Cedric said, panting.

Harry took the prick back into his hand and brought it to his lips again. He licked a long stripe from base to tip, causing Cedric's hips to jump again. But Harry was prepared this time and wasn't startled when it entered his mouth, resting on his tongue. Forming a sort of vacuum with his mouth, he sucked delicately.

Even though he was the one on his knees, he felt very in control of the situation. _I could get used to this_ , Harry thought contentedly. He increased his suction until the only noises that could be heard were the sounds of wet sucking and panting.

The longer it went on for, the harder Harry got. He found that in this position, he could easily reach down in between his legs to grasp his own hard prick. He rubbed himself through his trousers for a bit, his mouth slowing down on Cedric, then he shoved his trousers and his pants down and wriggled to get them loose.

He felt a bit silly with his bum waving in the air, but mostly he just felt aroused as he started using more tongue on the cock in his mouth. He was already extremely close and he wanted to bring Cedric off before he came. He tightened his lips and sucked harder, his hand a blur on his own cock, when suddenly there was a hand travelling down his back to rest on his arse, kneading softly. Harry moaned his approval around the cock in his mouth, hearing an answering moan from Cedric as the vibrations stimulated him.

Then suddenly a finger was sliding down inside to rest on his entrance. Harry blushed and made a curious sort of noise as it started circling lightly, but he kept his mouth moving. But when the tip of the finger popped inside him, Harry pulled off the cock completely, with a startled. "Oh!" For that, he received a face full of come and his named groaned out from Cedric's lips.

This triggered Harry's own unexpected orgasm and he fell down into Cedric's lap, face next to his still spurting cock.

The two boys came down from their orgasms, breathing heavily. While Harry was drifting off with his head still lying in the other boy's lap, Cedric cast a cleaning charm on the both of them. The tingle of it made Harry sit up and look at him.

Cedric was smiling down at him. Harry quickly looked down, blushing.

"You are the cutest thing, Harry," Cedric said, laughing. Then, he pulled Harry fully on his lap in their original position. Harry, still not willing to look Cedric in the face after what they'd done together, rested his head on his shoulder, legs coming to wrap around him again.

They were quiet, listening to each other breathing for a while. Harry thought it was the most romantic thing he'd ever experienced in his entire life, just sitting here, cuddled up to Cedric.

Harry only realized he had started drifting off in the other boys' arms, when he was brought sharply back to awareness by Cedric saying against his neck, "I love you, Harry."

Cedric brought his hands down to lace his fingers with Harry's as he spoke. "I know we haven't been friends for very long," he said, repeating his sentiments from earlier, "But I've never felt this way about anybody before."

Looking up into Cedric's eyes, Harry was in shock. Love? Cedric loved him?

Desperately thinking of something to say back that wasn't corny or stupid, Harry floundered for a moment before saying, "I love you too." There, that was easy.

Cedric's smile widened and he leaned down to capture Harry's mouth in his own in a short kiss. Harry blushed again and pulled away, "How can you kiss me after I... did that."

Cedric laughed again and said inanely, "I would do anything for you, Harry Potter."

They kissed again, slower this time and Harry's heart felt full to bursting. This was true love, obviously. They would get married and adopt kids and grow old together.

These were the exact sentiments Harry repeated that evening to Hermione in the library. He knew he was going a bit overboard, but he didn't think Hermione would mind. He looked at her, green eyes sparkling in happiness, for a response.

"I'm so happy for you, Harry," she said and Harry beamed at her, "But you don't expect he means all that, do you?"

Harry frowned and said, "What do you mean? He said we'd buy a house and get married as soon as I finish school."

"Cedric is very sweet, but he's still only sixteen, Harry," she said.

"So what if he's sixteen? My parents fell in love when they were sixteen," Harry said, feeling oddly defensive.

Hermione smiled at Harry and said, "I just don't want you rushing into things. You have a habit of doing that, you know."

–

Charlie was home again for thr summer, but to his surprise, Harry seemed to be completely over him. Whenever he wasn't with Ron, Hermione or the twins, he was sitting down somewhere, penning letters to that bloke he'd started seeing at school. He'd spent half his birthday party staring out the window and writing.

This continued for much of the hot summer, but Charlie had noticed that while Harry still seemed to be writing the same amount of letters, owls for him had been coming less and less frequently

One morning, nearing the end of the summer, Charlie had been walking past Ron's room on the way to the kitchen, when he'd overheard a conversation. He wouldn't have normally stopped to listen, but from the sound of it, Harry was quite upset over something.

"...hasn't been writing much, I thought you'd be over the moon when you finally got one," Charlie heard Ron say, and then Hermione, "Oh, Harry, what did it say to make you so upset?"

Charlie heard sniffling and then Harry's soft voice apparently reading from a letter.

" _Dear Harry,_

Derek and Cho and I have been having a good time. Yes, I've gotten all your letters, but I've been putting off answering them because I have something I hate to have to tell you.

_Cho and I are seeing each other. We were friends since before the two of us started dating, and she always held back from approaching me because I was with you. She told me how she felt, and I've realized that I feel the same way. I've liked her for a long time, but it's all too complicated to explain in a letter._

_Just know that I still love you very much and I hope we can always be friends,_

_Love always,_

_Cedric._ "

Charlie risked looking past the slightly open door into the room and he saw Hermione had her hand against her mouth. Harry was curled up at the foot of the bed and Ron looked absolutely furious.

"I'll kill him!" Ron said, curling his hands into fists. "He thinks just because he won that bloody tournament he can treat people however he likes."

"Ron–" Hermione started, but Ron cut her off.

"Don't defend him, Hermione! We all know he hasn't had the time of day for Harry since the moment he got that bloody cup. Time for everybody else, though, sneaking out to those stupid Hufflepuff parties, while he's got Harry running after him."

Harry looked up through his fringe, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. "I was invited to those, Ron," he said, "I would have gone with him too if Draco and Blaise hadn't forced me to stay in."

"For once, those gits had the right idea. What were you going to do with the lot of them, Harry?" Ron said.

Hermione nodded and said, "I agree with Ron, Harry. I've heard rumours about those parties. There's all sorts of alcohol at them, and mind altering potions."

Harry sniffled and said, "Cedric would have looked after me. He'd never do silly things like that."

Hermione and Ron exchanged a glance and Hermione said tentatively, "There have been rumours though, Harry– "

Harry shot upright and glared at the two of them. "Sod the bloody rumours. Cedric wouldn't do that sort of thing."

"You clearly don't know him as well as you thought you did, mate," Ron said callously, receiving a jab in the ribs from Hermione, along with a hissed, "Don't say that, Ron!"

Harry shook his head and said, "It's okay, Hermione. He's right." Charlie saw him turn his back to the two of them and mumble about taking a nap. They nodded and got up to exit the room.

Hermione said, "Feel better, Harry. I'll come check on you a bit later."

Charlie hurried along to the kitchen, feeling sorry for rejecting Harry the last summer in the face of this new rejection.

Harry, meanwhile, was feeling quite sorry for himself as well. He was hurt and confused. Why couldn't Cedric have just waited to tell him this in person? They'd be seeing each other in under a week. He traced back the time they'd spent together over the year, trying to figure out exactly what he'd done wrong, or could have done differently.

Harry wanted to think it had only started the week before the summer holiday, after Cedric had won the Triwizard Tournament, but it had been going on before then. With people always around him, it had gotten harder and harder for him to hold Cedric's attention.

He groaned out loud as he remembered he'd have to face Draco and Blaise next term. Draco had become more obnoxious than ever. In place of following them around, he'd gotten himself into the habit of trying to stop Harry from going anywhere in the first place.

If it had just been Draco telling him not to sit at the Hufflepuff table or not to go to Hogsmeade with Cedric, Harry would have just ignored him. But Blaise never seemed to want Harry to leave their sight and their combined efforts was putting a big strain on him. He found himself having to use his invisibility cloak to sneak out under their noses. As if they were his parents! Not even Remus and Sirius minded Harry seeing Cedric. They loved him, he was always polite and got good marks in their class.

No more of that, Harry decided. Blaise and Draco couldn't control him.

Broken hearted, upset and angry, Harry fell asleep, envisioning his fifth year and all the unpleasantness sure to come.


	3. Part III

**III.**

_"What are you talking about? Draco has been away on serious business."_

_"She's not lying, Harry. He's in St. Mungo's."_

_Harry's head became clouded as the potions really took effect. He was disoriented and Ron and Hermione's words made no sense to him. "No. He's sober. We're sober."_

_Ron and Hermione were suddenly on the ground next to him and he dimly realized his legs had collapsed beneath him. Hermione was trying to shush him and Harry was trying to focus on her face, trying to tell her it wasn't possible._

_"He wouldn't do this to me again. He promised," Harry said, almost incoherent. Hermione stroked his hair and Ron patted his back._

_Hermione said soothingly, "We managed to get it out of his system and he's stable now. It was a close call, but he can leave the hospital this evening._

_Ron hesitated, then asked, "Do you want go see him?"_

_Harry mutely shook his head._

_-_

"It's easy, Harry, I promise you," Draco said earnestly.

Harry sighed in frustration and tried the wand movements again, saying, " _Linguistus Mutis_."

"No, you're doing it wrong again."

Draco placed a firm hand on Harry's wrist and moved it the way Harry was supposed to be moving it. "Okay, now try it yourself again,"

" _Linguistus Mutis_!" Harry cried, focusing as hard as be could on the bored figure in front of him.

Harry looked expectantly at Blaise, who was almost asleep on the leather common room couch. He looked up at them through lidded eyes.

"Say something," Draco said.

Blaise muttered some gibberish in Italian and Harry groaned in frustration.

"I don't understand a thing!" he said, flopping down on the couch next to him.

Draco sighed and said, "Looks like your incompetence wins out again, Harry. I guess I'm going to have to perform the spell on you myself."

Harry pouted, barely even registering the insult. "But you said if someone else does the spell for me I'll only be able to understand, not speak."

"Don't worry, Harry, we'll just tell my relatives that you're a bit simple. I'm sure they'll understand."

Harry glared at him. "Yes, they should understand, seeing as they're so used to dealing with you."

"If we're done here, I'm going to bed. I'm dead tired."

The three of them headed up to their dormitory, where Crabbe and Goyle were already snoring, asleep, and Theodore was reading in his bed.

"Merlin, Theodore, could you be any more of a bore? Honestly, staying in reading on a Saturday night," Draco said in disgust, looking at the boy on the bed.

"I suppose you three have just come back from your usual wild Saturday night parties, then," Theodore said sarcastically, not looking up from his book.

"We have more fun than you, Nott."

Harry smothered a laugh and went to sit on Theodore's bed, something that he had been doing more and more frequently.

He remembered when he and Theodore had first started becoming friends, when he'd come back at the beginning of the term. He'd taken to sitting at the Slytherin table more and more, and he'd realized he'd never really sat down and had a proper conversation with the boy he'd been sharing a room with for the past five years.

Theodore had been surprised when Harry had taken a sudden interest in him, but responded warmly none the less. Their conversations were a welcome break from the worried looks and constant sympathy from the Gryffindors, and the bodyguard act Draco and Blaise had taken to.

They'd started spending every free moment with Harry, and though it got annoying, he found when he was on his own, he really didn't want to be on his own, lest he meet Cedric in the halls, or at Hogsmeade. He hadn't really wanted to see Ron or Hermione as of late either, though he wasn't sure when their constant worrying about him had become smothering rather than comforting. Even Sirius and Remus were walking on eggshells around him.

Theodore's presence was like a breath of fresh air for Harry. He never wanted to talk about Cedric, and he always let Harry guide the conversation.

"What are you reading, Teddy?" Harry asked, legs crossed as he sat on the edge of Theodore's bed.

" _What are you reading, Teddy_?" Blaise repeated mockingly, making Draco laugh and play along.

"How are you today, Teddy?"

"How was Arithmancy, Teddy?"

"Let's go out to the Quidditch field, Teddy, I can suck your cock behind the equipment shed."

Harry blushed furiously, eyebrows furrowing as he fixed his gaze anywhere but at Theodore, who said, "You two are the fucking worst. Pay no attention to them, Harry, they just can't stand you having friends besides them."

"You two can go fuck yourselves. I'm staying here for Christmas," Harry said heatedly. He'd been looking forward to his first time in Italy, but he didn't know if he could stand staying with Blaise and Draco in a foreign country with no one else to talk to but them.

Ever since Cedric had told one of his Hufflepuff friends and the rumours had started, Blaise and Draco had taken it upon themselves to mention it to him whenever they got the chance. Despite how protective they'd been of him recently around others, when they were alone they had no problem teasing him about his break up.

Blaise's eyes widened and he said, "No, Harry, I was just messing about."

"Yeah, Harry, you can't just change your mind now, we leave day after tomorrow!"

"I can do whatever I want. It's cruel, the way you treat me. As a matter of fact, I'm moving my bed over next to Theodore's," Harry said, getting up and walking over to the three beds.

But as soon as he pulled out his wand to perform a shrinking charm, Draco said, " _Accio_ wand," and it flew out of his hand.

Harry stood there, mouth agape. "You can't just take my wand!" he spluttered.

"I can and I did. You can have it back when you see some sense," Draco drawled.

Harry saw red. "You can't fucking control me!" he shouted, almost at the point of stamping his foot in frustration. Crabbe snorted in his sleep at the noise, rolling over. "Fine, then. I'll just sleep with Teddy," he said matter-of-factly, not really thinking about his words or any objection Theodore might have to it, only of a way to show them he could do what he liked.

Blaise and Draco stared at him and he made his way back to Theodore's bed and pulled up the covers, getting in. Theodore arched an eyebrow at the scene, and it annoyed Harry that he was able to keep a level head throughout all this. Though, he supposed that Theodore was used to the fights the three of them had fairly often.

"Is all this really necessary, Harry?" Draco asked, still staring at him.

"Yes, actually, it is. I don't want to be an inch closer to you than I have to."

"But–" Draco started, but Blaise interrupted him.

"Just leave him be, Draco. Just a half hour ago he was raving on and on about spending Christmas with us. He'll see sense in the morning."

"Yeah, well, I'll show you, patronizing arsehole," Harry muttered, not entirely sure he would be showing anybody anything. He hated how Draco and Blaise could make him feel like he was in the wrong, when he clearly wasn't!

He lay there, curled up next to Theodore. After about fifteen minutes of silence, he realized he felt weird on this end of the room. Theodore had the lone bed by the window, and Harry found that he felt exposed without Draco and Blaise's beds on either side of him. He sniffled, and scooted closer to Theodore, already regretting his decision.

Despite his anxiety, Harry fell asleep, snoring lightly next to Theodore. He didn't notice when Theodore closed his book and ended the light emanating from his wand that he'd been using to read with.

He dreamed of Italy.

–

_Dear Sirius and Remus,_

_I'm having a lot of fun here, but I miss you both terribly. Yes, Blaise's family is very nice. There must be a hundred people here._

Harry chewed on the end of his quill thoughtfully. He'd only been here in Italy for two days, but he already had so much to write.

_It's the most awkward thing in the world, not being able to talk to anyone, but at least I can understand what they're saying. Blaise has been translating for me, but it's not a very fun way to have a conversation. Draco's been helping out on that end as well, but I expect he just wants to show off he's so good at that bloody language spell. He's been all over, so he's used to it, but he still doesn't have to rub it in my face every second._

_Nobody speaks a word of English but one of Blaise's cousins, Marcelo. He's a bit older than us, just graduated from the Italian wizarding school (the name of which I'm not even going to bother to try to spell). He's awfully friendly, too. I'm not sure what to make of him, though. He's a bit too friendly. But then again, they all are. I feel like a member of their family already. I still don't really believe Blaise is really related to them. Not because he's not friendly or anything._

Harry paused and read that over.

_I guess Blaise isn't friendly, actually. At least not the way they are. Blaise's aunts practically drowned me in food yesterday. I've never had so much pasta in my life! Mrs. Weasley almost seems stingy compared to them._

_Some of Blaise's cousins are taking us out this weekend. I still haven't asked where, but I expect it's sightseeing or something like that._

_I forgot to mention that they have a huge library here! Hermione would absolutely die. Most of it's in Italian, but I've been told the translating spell is much easier on books than it is on people._

_Hope you're not too bored without me around the house. Write me soon!_

_Harry_

Harry sealed the letter, but didn't immediately get up to send it off. He looked out the window to the beautiful gardens below. There was a fountain with a statue of a mermaid sitting in the middle. She winked when Harry caught her eye and gave a little wave. Harry waved back, smiling. The sun was shining brightly through his large windows and he made up his mind to spend the rest of the day outdoors.

He'd been grateful when Blaise's uncle had told him he could keep Hedwig in his room, as he wasn't sure he could make the walk from the main house to the owlery. The grounds were huge and Harry didn't dare go exploring without Blaise, lest he get lost.

Giving Hedwig the letter and directions where to send it, Harry was about to get up to go wake Blaise and Draco when he noticed someone walking in the gardens.

He still hadn't learned all of Blaise's aunts' and uncles' and cousins' names, so he watched the person curiously, trying to remember if he'd talked to him or not. He had his back to Harry, but Harry could tell it had to be one of Blaise's male cousins because he was too small to be one of his burly uncles.

Then suddenly, the figure turned around and Harry saw that it was the one who spoke English, Marcelo. He was contemplating whether or not to stay here and see what he was doing in the gardens, or go wake Blaise and Draco, when he realized that at some point Marcelo had looked up and was now smiling at him.

Suddenly, he heard the tell tale small pop that came from Apparition next to him and he jumped when Marcelo appeared directly in front of him.

" _Buongiorno_ , Harry," he said.

"Erm, hello," Harry said uncertainly. Draco hadn't performed the spell on him yet, so he hoped Marcelo would continue the rest of the conversation in English.

"I hope you slept well," Marcelo said, still smiling at him. Harry smiled back. The accent he spoke with was lovely and it made Harry want to hear more of it.

"Oh, yes. My room is lovely."

"It is. It is even nicer because you have it all to yourself. There are twelve bedrooms in the villa, yet I still am forced to share with my nephews."

Harry laughed and said, "There is certainly a lot of you. I didn't know Blaise had so many aunts and uncles."

The other boy nodded and said, "Yes, I am told that wizard families in Britain are small. It is very much the opposite here in Italy. If I am not wrong, Blaise is the only one of my cousins with no brothers or sisters,"

"His mother is British, so perhaps that's why," Harry said.

Marcelo nodded and then said, "Would you like breakfast? The, eh..." he struggled for the word and seemed to come up short, "The _cucina elfi_ can prepare some food for you, if you would like."

Harry wasn't really hungry, but he nodded. Marcelo told him that the children were already up and eating, so he understood if Harry wanted to eat in his room. Harry just laughed and shook his head, saying it was alright.

Marcelo seemed disappointed. "Have you done the spell yet?" Harry shook his head and Marcelo said, "The children will want to speak with you. I can barely understand them myself, so I am worried it will be very confusing for you."

Harry agreed and the two of them ordered some breakfast from the house elves and ate on the wide floor in Harry's room.

Harry found that Marcelo was a very good conversation partner. They talked about school and the differences between Hogwarts and the Italian school for magic. Then, the conversation moved on to where they were going that weekend and Marcelo told him that a friend of his older brother Angelo was having a party at her mansion and that they had all been invited.

It was fun, hanging out with Marcelo. He had a lot of interesting things to say. Harry found that they sat there long after the empty platters had been taken away by the house elves, just talking.

Then, their pleasant bubble was burst by Blaise entering the room. He was still wearing his black silk pyjamas and he said, "Why didn't you wake me up, Harry, I–"

Then seeing his cousin sitting there next to Harry, Blaise's face got stormy. He said something angrily to Marcelo in Italian, who rolled his eyes and got up, saying something back that seemed to upset Blaise more.

Harry watched, bewildered and wishing he'd woken Draco up to do the spell on him. They went back and forth a few times, before Marcelo turned back to him. "It was nice talking to you, Harry. I hope to see you again this evening," he said, giving him a dazzling smile.

As he left, Blaise muttered, "Yeah fucking right, like I'd let Harry go off alone with you."

"What happened just now? What's wrong?" Harry asked.

Blaise looked at Harry sharply and said, "What were you two doing? Did he touch you?"

"What?" Harry exclaimed, shocked. "What are you– we were just having breakfast!"

Now pacing the room, Blaise said, "Look, Harry, there's a reason I don't come here often. You can't trust these people."

"I don't understand, everybody has been so nice. Marcelo–"

Blaise pulled him up roughly by his arm and hissed, "Marcelo is a fucking snake. Don't listen to a word he says,"

Harry shook Blaise off of him roughly and said, "Why are you being so horrible all of a sudden? Marcelo has been nothing but nice to me. You and Draco could take a tip or two from him."

Blaise laughed, but there was no humour in it. "What do you suggest he teach us, Harry? The fine art of manipulation?"

Snorting, Harry said, "You two do quite fine on your own in that area."

Blaise sneered and said, "Listen to me carefully, Harry. Marcelo will tell you what you want to hear. He is very good at that."

"You're acting like he's plotting against me or something. We just talked about Quidditch and school."

"He wants to fuck you, Harry. I could see it in his eyes from the moment we got here."

Just as Harry was about to tell Blaise that he'd gotten the wrong idea, the door opened again and Draco came in, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

He flopped down on Harry's bed and said, "Merlin, what are you two doing up at this hour?"

"It's nearly noon, Draco," Blaise said, surprisingly nonchalant after the way he'd been shouting at Harry just moments before. "My father wants to meet you two today."

And that was that.

That afternoon, to much fanfare and noise, Blaise's father came to the house. He had an attractive young blond wizard on his arm, who smiled shyly at everyone, a complete contrast to the boisterous man escorting him.

He had presents for all the children and he handed them out, apologizing for not being able to stay longer and promising to make it on Christmas tomorrow. " _Nicolo is having a small get together with some of his friends and I promised to join him_ ," he explained in Italian, gesturing to his guest.

The children dispersed to play with their toys and Blaise's father's guest excused himself to wait outside. Everyone else gradually left the sitting room until it was just Harry, Blaise, and Draco in the room with Blaise's father. Harry could practically feel the contempt radiating from Blaise, even as he embraced his father warmly and said, " _Nice to see you, Father_."

Blaise's father smiled warmly at him, " _I wish you would come down for Christmas more often, Bipi. This is the first time in years I've seen you for the Holidays_."

Harry laughed inwardly as Blaise cringed at the nickname. Blaise's father suddenly turned to him and Draco and exclaimed in heavily accented English, "Young Draco! How you've grown! "

Draco smiled politely at the man and said, "It's nice to see you after so long, sir."

Blaise's father turned his eyes to Harry and said, "And I believe this is the famous Harry Potter."

Blaise nodded and said, "Yes, sir."

"Bipi, you did not tell me your Harry was such a good-looking young man," he said and Harry blushed. The man looked very much like Blaise. He lacked the soft look of youth that Blaise had, but was still quite handsome.

Blaise stiffened but before he could say anything, the older man said, "Well, Nicolo is waiting for me outside, boys, so I must leave you."

They said their goodbyes and the man left the room so that it was suddenly just the three of them. Harry could hear Christmas Eve festivities going on in the kitchen.

Then suddenly, Draco started laughing. "Your dad stinks of blow, Bipi."

Blaise glared sullenly at him and said, "I fucking hate being called that."

"Blow?" Harry asked idly, wanting to join the others in the other room. Maybe Marcelo would talk to him again.

"Drugs, Harry," Blaise said matter-of-factly. Harry's mouth dropped open to form a small "o" of surprise.

"How to you suppose they're all so rich, Harry?" Draco asked, still grinning.

"Well, I'd assumed... I don't know," Harry said, trailing off. He knew Blaise's mum was always marrying men who died and left them money, but he didn't want to bring it up in front of Blaise. He was very sensitive about the topic of his stepfathers and had gotten extremely upset with Harry when he'd suggested that it was very strange how they kept dying.

"My family's been doing this for over a century, maybe longer," Blaise said, "This is why you can't trust any of them, Harry. They're nice and friendly, but they'd turn you in a second. They know exactly the right things to say to get what they want, and if they can't, they'll kill you for it. And Marcelo is the worst of them all."

"Do you remember what he did to my toy dragons?" Draco asked, shuddering a bit.

Blaise smirked and said, "How could I forget?"

"Tell me the story!" Harry said eagerly. He loved to hear stories of Draco and Blaise's childhood, especially stories of their childhood together.

"We were like seven or eight," Blaise said. "Draco was here over the summer, and he brought bagfuls of these stupid toy dragons. He was obsessed with them and refused to let any of us play with them. Marcelo was in his first year at the 'big kids' wizarding school and he said that meant he could play with whatever toys he liked."

"Hasn't changed a bit, self-important git," Draco mumbled.

"Draco told him to sod off, so one night he put all the dragons in Draco's bed and when Draco woke up they'd chewed holes all through his favourite pyjamas."

Harry laughed a bit and Blaise grinned as he continued. "That wasn't the end of it, though. The next day, Draco told Marcelo's older sister Rosa what he'd done. You might not remember Rosa, Harry, but she's the one with the little baby. She can be very... strict. So Marcelo got throttled and he was so pissed he took all Draco's little dragons and burned them in front of him."

Draco scowled and said, "He always thinks he should get his own way. I should have hexed him into next week for what he did."

"You didn't know any proper spells, Draco. Besides, you were too busy crying to do anything."

"I was not crying!"

"You were."

"And even if I was, you heard the way they were screaming while they burned to death. It was heartbreaking."

"Toys cannot _die_ , Draco," Blaise said, rolling his eyes, "And you're one to talk about anyone wanting their own way all the time."

Draco looked about to reply again when one of Blaise's young cousins popped her head round the corner and told them it was time to eat.

Throughout dinner, Harry thought of what Blaise and Draco had told him about the Zabini family. Drugs? Murder? It didn't seem possible at all. Blaise's aunts insisted of refilling his plate every time he emptied it (and if this was the way they ate on Christmas Eve, Harry was almost scared of Christmas dinner) and Blaise's uncles told stories in loud voices that made everyone laugh.

The children ate at the "kids' table" and Harry heard the older ones teaching the younger ones spells they weren't old enough to know yet and bragging about the fact that they were able to attend wizarding school.

Then, there was Marcelo, who'd chosen to sit across from Harry and gave him sweet smiles every time he caught Harry looking at him. Harry felt like he spent the dinner with a permanent blush on his face from the older boy's attention.

Blaise, unfortunately, wasn't unaware of this and brought it up later when he'd forced Harry away from the festive room and brought him upstairs.

Harry felt more than a bit tipsy from the wine the adults had allowed them to drink. Draco had chosen to stay downstairs and continue chatting, and Harry had wanted that as well, but Blaise had insisted they go to bed.

"Blaise, this isn't fair!" Harry whined as he was pulled roughly into Blaise's room.

He gave a small oomph as he was shoved up against a wall and Blaise hissed venomously at him, "Stop fucking flirting with my cousin."

Harry rolled his eyes and tried to push Blaise off of him, knowing he wouldn't be strong enough even if he wasn't inebriated at the moment. "Not this again. I wasn't flirting with him. Let's go back downstairs, we're being rude, it's rude, to everyone, your family," he rambled.

"You just want to go have it off with Marcelo. You've just broken up with your little Hufflepuff, and you're already–"

"Don't talk to me like I'm some sort of slut! I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Harry, you're drunk," Blaise said, still glaring heatedly at Harry.

"I'm not drunk! I'm a fucking guest and it's time you started treating me like one," Harry exclaimed, and when Blaise wasn't expecting it, he ducked beneath his arms and made a dash for the door.

But before he could make it far, Blaise pulled out his wand and said, " _Defigo_!" successfully locking the door to the room with Harry inside it.

Harry groaned in frustration and said, "If you're going to force me to go to bed, let me at least sleep in my own room."

"What, so Marcelo can come up and take advantage of you while you're inebriated? I don't think so."

"Blaise, you're being ridiculous."

The room was suddenly filled with the sound of loud laughter that floated up from downstairs. Harry whined pitifully again and said, "Blaise, can't you hear the fun everyone's having? It's Christmas!"

"You're not leaving this room until morning, so you might as well get ready for bed."

All of his clothes were in his own room, so Harry was forced to sleep in Blaise's. He brushed his teeth and took a shower in the adjoining bathroom, all the while mumbling about how Blaise thought he could control the world.

"Doesn't fucking own me, stupid ponce," Harry said under his breath as he put on his clothes.

The door had been slightly ajar and Blaise shouted, "I heard that, you prick. Hurry up in the fucking bathroom."

After Blaise had finished getting ready for bed, he slipped into the bed with Harry. It was more than big enough for the both of them, but Harry felt the bigger boy against his side, lying down close to him anyway.

Harry sniffled and scooted away. "Fucking ruined my Christmas, you are the worst."

Blaise sighed. "It's just past midnight, Harry, Christmas has only now started."

"Should have never come here with you, should be with the Weasleys. At least they care about me," Harry mumbled, scooting away even more.

Blaise used his arms to pull Harry back next to him forcefully. "Shut your fucking mouth and go to sleep," Blaise said, but it was without malice.

Harry huffed indignantly. "La la la, I'm still talking. You can't tell me what to do. You–"

Blaise suddenly rolled over so he was hovering over him and shut him up with a kiss. Harry's eyes widened impossibly, but after the initial shock wore off, he kissed back. Their tongues rolled around against each other and though he'd never seen him with anyone at school, Harry knew Blaise must have done this before.

They broke apart, panting. Blaise was still halfway on top of him, dark curls falling into his eyes as he looked down into Harry's.

"If you're hoping I won't remember this in the morning, I will just to spite you," Harry said inanely.

Blaise laughed and rolled off of him. "You are a ridiculous drunk, Harry. I almost want to let you go back downstairs just to see you make an arse of yourself."

Harry shook his head and snuggled closer to Blaise, closing the distance he'd put between them earlier in his now forgotten rage. "Too tired, now," he said, yawning.

Blaise wrapped an arm around him, as if this weren't an unusual occasion for them, and they fell asleep.

Harry was woken up with a raging headache and sickening nausea, to the sound of voices somewhere above his head.

"How did you get in here anyway?" a voice muttered sullenly.

"Your spell only locked it from the inside, idiot. I only had to cast a simple unlocking charm."

Harry opened his eyes to see that Blaise and Draco were talking by the door. From the look of him, Blaise didn't seem to have been up very long and Draco looked as miserable as he felt, but Harry only had enough sympathy for himself at that moment.

He groaned miserably and both of them looked over at him.

"I'm dying," he croaked from his place on the bed, looking up at them with big green eyes that just begged for him to be taken care of.

Blaise rubbed his eyes and walked over to the bed, getting back under the covers. "I'm going back to sleep, Draco. Stay if you want."

Draco grumbled and walked over to the bed and said, "Really, you could be more grateful. I went out of my way to procure hangover potions for you both and I don't even get so much as a thank you."

"I don't have a hangover. Unlike you two, I didn't drink last night."

The bed jostled lightly as he got into the bed next to Harry, who moaned lightly as his headache flared up at the slight movement.

"Merlin, three teenage boys in bed together on Christmas day. What are we even doing?" Draco said, laying his head on one of the huge pillows.

Blaise threw an arm over Harry, who lay sandwiched between the two of them, and said, "Nobody is forcing you to be here. Go back to your own room."

"Yeah right, like I'm walking all the way over there again. Here, Harry, drink this. "

Harry shook his head again and croaked, "Can't move."

"It's for your hangover. Just open your mouth and I'll pour it in."

Harry shook his head again, wanting to drink it but extremely reluctant to shift his position, lest he expel his nausea all over the red sheets.

Through his lidded eyes, he saw Blaise smirk next to him. "You seem to have no problem opening your mouth for other people."

He chuckled at his own joke, mouth turning up in that always so infuriatingly attractive way, making Harry want to punch him in his stupid, smirking face and kiss him at the same time.

Kiss him...

Harry bolted upright as a sudden memory flashed through his mind and pointed an accusing finger at Blaise, who raised an eyebrow at him. "You kissed me last night!"

"What?" Draco spluttered, eyes fixed on Blaise. "You did not!"

Blaise rolled his eyes and said, "Harry was being a prat and I needed to shut him up."

"You put your tongue in my mouth!"

"You did what?"

"I didn't hear you complaining."

Harry folded his arms and said, "You can't just go around kissing people."

"You don't see me kissing just anyone, do you?" he asked exasperatedly, "And close your mouth, Draco, you look ridiculous."

"I can't believe that's what you two were up to last night!"

Harry sighed and lay back down. He grabbed the potion from Draco's hand and drank it quickly, making a face at the taste.

"Okay," he said, "we obviously need to talk about this, but let's just sleep for a few more hours first."

Blaise nodded his agreement and pulled Harry closer to him. Draco seethed. "Stop manhandling Harry. He doesn't want your paws all over him."

Blaise opened his eyes again and said teasingly, "Jealous, Malfoy?"

Sighing, Harry turned over in Blaise's arms and looked at Draco. "You can have a cuddle too if you like," he said, hardly believing the words that were coming from his mouth, but trying not to think too much about it.

Draco blushed. "Malfoys do not _cuddle_ , Potter."

"Stop being a prat," Harry said, and he shifted a bit out of Blaise's grasp to pull Draco closer to him, laying his head on his chest. Draco fussed for a bit, but despite his protests, fell asleep when they did.

Harry woke later in a similar way to how he'd woken that morning, the only difference being the absence of that dreadful hangover, to Blaise and Draco talking.

Draco was sitting up against the headboard and Blaise still had his arms around Harry.

Harry snuggled in a bit closer, enjoying the warmth, as he listened to their conversation.

"I haven't gotten any of my assignments done, and I haven't done a bit of studying for the O.W.L.s," Draco moaned.

Blaise groaned and Harry felt it vibrate pleasantly against his neck. "Don't remind me."

"Granger's going to get more O.W.L.s than me, I just know it," Draco said pathetically, and Harry inwardly rolled his eyes at the constant rivalry over school work Hermione and Draco kept up. Thinking of Hermione made him wonder if they'd gotten his letter wishing her and the Weasleys a happy Christmas yet. The Burrow probably looked gorgeous with all the Christmas decorations.

"Bested by a Mudblood, Draco. Daddy won't be pleased at all, will he?"

Harry ignored them and said quietly, "I wonder if it takes terribly long for my letters to get all the way to England."

Both of them looked at him. "Oh, you're up. Some letters came for you," Draco said, reaching over to the bedside table and picking up some letters Harry hadn't noticed before.

"Owls are magical, Harry. I'm sure they do just fine flying anywhere, even across the continent," Blaise said, answering his question.

Harry pulled out of Blaise arms and sat up excitedly. He took the letters from Draco hand and said absently, "Well, I still hope Hedwig is alright."

"She's most likely sleeping at that shack the Weasleys call a house," Draco said as Harry looked over the names on his letters. They were from Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione. One slightly bulging envelope was labelled "From Molly" and Harry groaned at the idea of enlarging whatever present was inside. Blaise and Draco would tease him no matter what the contents turned out to be, and Harry had a sickening feeling it was going to be another one of her Weasley jumpers.

It was after three by the time Harry, Blaise and Draco went downstairs. Christmas went off without a hitch and Harry had more presents than he knew what to do with from just Blaise's aunts alone. "Your family certainly isn't stingy," he'd said offhandedly while Draco opened his presents from the children.

Blaise had laughed and said, "My mother's side got me school supplies again this year, so I'm pretty sure it's just this lot."

That night was the big party he'd been invited to by Blaise's cousins, and Harry was beyond excited.

So when Blaise had told him, "You can't go." Harry had almost strangled him. "I've been looking forward to this, Blaise, you can't just say I can't go."

"I can and I did. Go put on your pyjamas, the only place you're going is to bed."

Harry wasn't the only one upset. Draco had protested as well, saying, "I can't just go without you and Harry, Blaise, I hardly know these people."

"Then I guess none of us are going."

That was the final straw for Harry. He exited the room with a flourish, saying he'd be sleeping alone. Then, when he got to his own room, he showered and put on the clothes he'd set out earlier to wear that night.

It had seemed daring and exciting, lying to Blaise and Draco like that, but then Harry found himself alone with several of Blaise's cousins, with the only one he'd spoken to before being Marcelo, who Blaise seemed to hate so much.

" _Relax_ ," said one of Blaise's cousins, who was just as disconcertingly handsome as the rest of them. " _You are among friends_."

Harry just nodded, still not being able to speak. It was a good thing too, as he'd sure he'd make a fool of himself in front of all these good-looking, confident men. He was starting to doubt the soundness of his decision when someone grabbed his arm and side-along Apparated him to their destination.

They were in a large room and there was coloured smoke everywhere and loud music booming all around him. The people that weren't dancing entirely too close to each other were sitting all over one another other on couches in various states of undress.

Harry felt dizzy with how overwhelmed he was and he felt a lump rise in his throat. He longed for Blaise, or Draco, or anyone to get him out of this situation. He wondered if perhaps the law about magic outside of school applied in other countries, because he desperately wanted to apparate himself back to the villa.

Then, the person who'd side-alonged him here tugged gently on his hand and Harry turned to look into Marcelo's deep brown eyes. He relaxed a bit.

"I do not know my brother's friends very well," he said over the music, grimacing a little.

Harry felt immediate relief that he wasn't the only one a bit uncomfortable and said, "I've never been to one of these before."

Marcelo smiled and said loud enough to be heard, "You can stay with me. I promise to take good care of you."

–

The trees moved past quickly, and Harry tore his eyes away from the window, risking another glance at Blaise.

"Are you honestly still mad at me?" he asked, his eyes firmly looking out the window again, careful not to look Blaise in the eye.

Next to him, Draco snorted over his Potions textbook. "Of course he is, Potter."

Harry turned and glared at him. "I was asking Blaise, Malfoy."

"You're asking for trouble, Potter."

"Look, I didn't ask for him to kiss me, alright? He just did!" Harry said, not entirely truthfully. Marcelo had asked if he could kiss him, and Harry had said yes, which triggered the chain of events that led to the predicament Harry was in now.

Blaise finally looked up at Harry over his own Potions textbook and said calmly, "Eat your chocolate frogs and be quiet, Harry."

"But it's not fair. I said I was sorry."

"And I said I didn't want to catch you alone with him again after what happened at that stupid party."

Harry hugged his knees tighter to his chest and said, "Don't start that again. We were just having fun, alright? He didn't mean anything by it."

Draco snorted. "He Apparated you both back to your room accidentally, I'm sure."

"You are too fucking trusting, Harry," Blaise said with a frustrated sigh, "Those potions could have been anything, and you could have died if you'd taken too many."

"I only took a few," Harry protested.

"It was enough to get you trying to fuck my cousin."

Harry blushed at the memory. It had been mortifying to have Blaise and Draco see him in that state. They had been in his room, waiting for him to come back from the party and he'd come in with Marcelo, kissing him like the slut Blaise insisted he was. He didn't remember much, but he remembered an argument in Italian that he was too high to properly understand, even with the spell, flying over his head. Then the next thing he knew Marcelo was gone and Blaise was furious at him.

"It's not like you two didn't take those potions too."

"Yeah, but that was afterward," Draco said, "We didn't sneak out and do it."

"I shouldn't have had to sneak out!" Harry yelled.

Blaise said matter-of-factly, "Look, things would be fine now if you had just listened to me and stayed away from him. I mean, he had no problem giving you drugs and taking you home to sleep with you, Harry! How could you still kiss him after that?"

While Harry had still been packing his things, Marcelo had come into his room. They'd talked for a bit and then out of nowhere Marcelo had asked if he could kiss him. When Harry nodded shyly, they'd kissed for about five seconds before Blaise had come in, asking Harry if he'd seen one of his shirts.

Then, all hell had broken loose and Harry was, once again, torn away from Marcelo as if he were incapable of making decisions for himself. Now, they were on the train back to Hogwarts, and Blaise was still angry at him for what had happened that morning.

"I said I was sorry," Harry said again.

Neither of them said anything back.

"Fine, then. I'll just go sit with Theodore, if you two hate being in my presence so much," Harry said huffily, though he had no idea where on the train Theodore was.

"Theodore stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas, Harry," Draco drawled.

Harry frowned and stood up. "Fine, I'll go find Ron and Hermione. They'll want to talk to me."

Blaise looked up at him, with an infuriatingly bored expression on his face. It seemed a challenge to Harry, telling him stay, in a way that dared him to go right ahead and leave.

He sat back down and said angrily, "Fuck the both of you. I haven't done anything wrong and I hate when you treat me like this."

"Eat your chocolate frogs and shut the fuck up, Harry," Blaise ordered again. Livid, Harry bit the leg off of one of the wriggling frogs and sat back in his seat.

–

This was a fine start to the new term.

"You bloody little liar, you told me you had none left!" Blaise said, snatching one of the little vials from Harry's hand.

"Don't tell Draco," Harry whispered earnestly, looking around like Draco was going to appear from behind the tree they were leaning against.

Blaise scoffed and said, "I should just to spite you for lying, Potter."

"Yeah, well I only have six or seven more, so if you want any you'll keep your mouth shut."

Harry had managed to bring back nearly a suitcase full of the potions Blaise's cousins had introduced them to. It was nearing the middle of the term, and his supply was running dangerously low, so he'd told Blaise and Draco (who hadn't had the foresight to bring some along) that he'd finished them all.

The feeling that the potions gave him was like nothing Harry had ever experienced before. Taking just one allowed him to float away, only halfway present in whatever situation he was in, but taking three or four at a time made him feel like he could take on the world. Every one of his senses was amplified and he found that once he reached that state, he would take more and more to keep himself in it.

Hermione had started getting suspicious, though, so he'd had to stop taking them around her. Nobody else questioned his constant "headaches". In fact, all his friends kept telling him how happy he seemed. Considering the depressed mess he'd been before the Christmas holiday, he could see how that would be a surprise to them.

Colin had even told him how much friendlier he was being towards him, which had made Harry laugh and hug him, something he would never have done before.

As Blaise and he got down to his last two bottles, it was nearly time for dinner and Harry was feeling the acute fear he'd been getting all week at the thought of the moment when his potions finally ran out. There was nowhere to get them at Hogwarts, and Harry didn't know when, if ever, he'd get to take them again.

He communicated this to Blaise, who just said, "We can buy some over the Easter hols to bring back."

But when they mentioned heading back to Italy over Easter to Draco, he'd told them he wasn't going.

"My father will kill me if Hermione Granger gets more O.W.L.s than me. I have to stay here and study. You two should do the same if you want to get any O.W.L.s at all."

"I've been studying," Harry protested indignantly.

Draco just laughed at him and said, "You've been permanently high since you got here, Potter. I haven't seen you pick up a book once."

"You haven't exactly been refusing the potions either, Draco," Blaise said, as they began walking down to the Great Hall for dinner.

"In moderation."

Annoyed at Draco and on edge from not having any more potions, Harry was more stressed than he'd been all term. The next day, when Hermione came to him about studying in the library, he'd snapped at her. He'd apologized after, and though she'd forgiven him, he couldn't forget the surprised look in her eyes after he'd done it. He _never_ shouted at his friends.

The Easter holiday couldn't come fast enough.

–

It had been incredibly difficult to convince his guardians, especially Sirius, to let him stay over at Malfoy Manor over the Easter holiday, but after much begging and promises to get plenty of work done (for Remus) and make note of any suspicious behaviour from Lucius Malfoy (for Sirius) he'd gotten them to agree.

Harry was almost giggling with glee as he popped the cork off of the first of the little red potions he'd had in what felt like years.

"Alright, you have them. You two promised to let me study."

Harry drank the potion, already reaching for the next one, as he pouted. "Don't be such a spoilsport, Draco."

Blaise was in a similar state as he was already on his third and he said, "You have all week to study, Draco. Come celebrate with us."

"Slow down on those. And I already told you I won't be taking any here, my father would disown me if he thought I was doing that shit."

Harry smiled, already feeling the high kicking in. "You are so adorable when you're being a little swot."

Blaise laughed from where he lay next to him on Draco's gigantic bed. "Aren't I adorable as well?" he asked, pouting at Harry.

"Of course you are! You are both adorable," Harry confirmed, giggling.

"Who's the most adorable?"

Harry pretended to think for a second, then said, "If I was forced to choose... Draco."

Blaise was suddenly on top of him and moving wiggling fingers against his sides, causing Harry to squeal and buck to get him off. "No, I meant you are! You're much more– stop!" he said, trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably as Blaise continued to tickle him.

Draco rolled his eyes at the pair on the bed, and reminded them to lock the door, lest his father come in and see exactly what was in the parcel he'd sent that house elf to collect.

"Right then, I'll be in the study. Dinner is in a few hours."

Harry pouted as he watched Draco slip out of the room. Blaise fell off of him panting. "I haven't been here in years," he murmured, "The place hasn't changed a bit."

Draco's bedroom was positively huge, so much so that Harry wondered what the master bedroom of the house could possibly look like. The ceiling was incredibly high and the furniture was antique; the only thing similar to Harry's room at Grimmauld Place was the Puddlemere United posters he had plastered on the walls.

"It's really nice here," Harry said idly.

Blaise apparently didn't share the sentiment. "I don't miss it."

Harry looked at him curiously. "Why not?"

"Too dark and gloomy."

Harry nodded. It was pretty dark and gloomy, he supposed. But still, apart from the villa he'd stayed at in Italy, it was the nicest home he'd ever seen.

"Where did Draco's mum and dad go?" he wondered out loud.

Blaise snorted and said, "They could be anywhere. You could spend years in this house and not see anybody else once."

That made Harry a bit nervous. Sirius had lectured him firmly about being on the lookout for anything suspicious or even a bit threatening. He had all but tied him to a chair and forced him not to go, but thankfully Remus had told him he was being just a little insane and that Lucius Malfoy hadn't been a Death Eater in almost sixteen years. Sirius had replied that just because he wasn't a servant of Voldemort's anymore didn't mean he wasn't evil.

Harry was inclined to believe Sirius, because anyone who'd followed the man who had killed his parents was obviously not to be trusted, but Remus had convinced him that despite his past, Lucius Malfoy wasn't a threat to him.

Dinner that night had only served to confuse Harry more. Lucius Malfoy, for all intents and purposes, seemed perfectly friendly towards Harry. If he knew that Harry knew he used to be a Death Eater, he didn't show it.

Blaise was perfectly capable of holding a conversation at the dinner table, despite how many potions he'd taken earlier. Harry, on the other hand, blushed every time he tried to speak at his own inability to say anything that sounded remotely intelligent. Luckily, the conversation had stayed mostly on the topic of Quidditch, something Draco and his father seemed passionate about and Harry didn't have to contribute much to.

Draco's mother was also pleasant. She was the perfect picture of the society lady, and nibbled delicately at her food throughout the whole night while she added dispassionate remarks to the topic of the last year's world cup every so often.

After dinner, they immediately went back to Draco's bedroom, where Harry downed two potions in rapid succession.

To his surprise, Blaise seemed just as eager to take some as well. "Remind me never to get high before talking to your parents again," he said to Draco, flopping down on the bed next to Harry.

Harry gaped a little at him. "But you were like, normal around them. I sounded like a bloody idiot."

Before Blaise could respond, a small knock came at the door.

"Fuck!" Draco said, before casting some sort of concealment charm on the many vials they had lying around. Harry's mouth dropped open at his blatant use of magic outside of Hogwarts.

The door opened and Draco's father came in and told them that he and Narcissa were going to bed. He glanced at Harry, whose heart rate sped up, and gave him a small smile.

After he'd closed the door behind him, Harry wheeled around on Draco.

"You just did magic! We're going to have the Ministry here in a minute!"

Blaise didn't say anything but he looked at Draco uneasily.

"Calm down, there are Confunding spells all over the Manor. Even if someone was doing Unforgivables they still couldn't tell who."

"Well, you could have told me something. I was thinking you were about to get expelled from school, or put in Azkaban, or whatever it is that happens when you do magic outside of school."

Draco laughed and said, "Poor Potty, would you miss me if I wasn't at school with you?"

Harry pouted and said, "No, I just wouldn't have anybody to help me with Potions."

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "I'm good at Potions."

"Speaking of Potions, I should get started on my essay. Are you two going to spend the entire week in my bedroom?"

Harry blushed at the unintentional implications the question carried. Obviously, Draco hadn't meant it like that, but it came at an awkward timing. His relationship with Blaise had been weirdly... touchy-feely since they'd returned from Italy. With Draco and Hermione spending so much time studying and Ron with his new girlfriend Lavender, he and Blaise had been alone together more frequently than ever.

Harry found that he lost his inhibitions when he took the potions, especially around Blaise, so they were very hands-on with each other. Blaise didn't seem to think that deeply into it, as he was still running after Daphne Greengrass, but when Harry sobered up for long enough he couldn't help but think about it.

"I'm not sure what we're going to do all week. It's awfully quiet in your house."

Draco shrugged and said, "You'll get used to it. There's not much to do here."

With that, he left, and Harry and Blaise were alone again.

Harry looked at Blaise and found him staring at him, making him look away and blush. "Do I have something on my face?" he asked hesitantly.

"Just your big beautiful green eyes."

Harry laughed so hard he thought he'd never stop. "When you're sober, you're going to want to strangle yourself for saying that," he said grinning, "That's one of the more ridiculous things you've said to me while high."

Blaise looked affronted. "I happen to find myself very romantic, thank you very much."

Harry snorted. "Right," he said sarcastically, "You're positively poetic, you are."

Blaise rolled on top of him like he had when he'd started tickling earlier and looked down into Harry's "big beautiful green" eyes. "You are amazing," he said. Harry stared up at the bigger boy nervously. He did get very affectionate after he took the potions, but Harry didn't feel as high as Blaise clearly was.

"Flattery will get you everywhere."

Blaise shook his head, his dark curls falling into his eyes making Harry's heart jump. "No, I mean it. Draco has been telling me some things."

Harry looked up at him, tilting his head curiously, "What sort of things?"

Blaise leaned down and kissed his neck and Harry got hard instantly. "I can't just tell you his secrets, now can I?"

"I– I suppose not," he stuttered, startled by the random turn of events.

"Not that he tells me that many secrets. Just that one, actually."

"You're chatty today," Harry said tensely as Blaise kissed his way up his neck to his jawbone. Blaise chuckled.

Then, keeping his eyes open, he kissed Harry gently. Harry made a soft noise as he was kissed. He involuntarily pressed his hips up into Blaise's and found a matching hardness against his own. The kiss went quickly from hesitant and gentle to desperate and hungry.

Harry moved his hips upwards again, causing Blaise to moan and run his hands down the side of Harry's thigh. He slipped a hand down between them and rubbed at the tent at the front of Harry's trousers, causing him to break the kiss to throw his head back and mewl as he pressed against it.

"Blaise," Harry said panting, as Blaise starting sucking purposely on his neck, "Blaise, we're in Draco's– oh, fuck!" he cried out when Blaise bit down on his extremely sensitive collarbone. "We should go to my room."

Blaise looked down teasingly into Harry's eyes. "It's pretty exciting, yeah? Draco's face would be priceless if he walked in on us fucking in his bed."

Harry's eyes opened wide. Fucking? Blaise wanted–

He lost all train of thought as Blaise resumed sucking on his collarbone and the hand at the front of his trousers pressed down more insistently. "Still, w-we should–"

He was interrupted by the door opening, light from the hall shining into the dark room. He rolled out from underneath Blaise, who just lay there looking unimpressed, and found himself looking across the room into startled grey eyes. Draco closed the door behind him and said frantically, "Are you two fucking insane? What if that had been my father?"

"Your father went to bed," Blaise said calmly. Draco ran a hand through his hair and said, "Why are you doing this in my room, in the first place?"

Harry said, voice shaking, "I was trying to get him to leave, but he wouldn't."

Draco glanced at Harry, face softening a bit, before looking back at Blaise. "I mean... Just, don't do that."

Smirking, Blaise stared at Draco. "Don't do what? Snog Harry, or snog Harry in your bed?"

Harry blushed furiously and nudged Blaise harshly in the side. Blaise only glanced at him, he and Draco stilled locked in a staring contest Harry didn't understand.

"Which one is it Draco?" Blaise insisted, "Because I think it's time we let Harry in on your little secret."

Draco's eyes turned stormy and he came closer to Blaise, finger pointed accusingly. "You tricked me into telling you, you fucking snake."

Blaise just smirked and said, "I suspected it all along, so don't act so offended."

"What are you two taking about?" Harry asked frustratedly. "If this involves me I have a right to know!"

Both of them looked at him. "Let's just say that Draco wishes he were the one in here snogging you."

Draco's face was unreadable as he said, "Harry's a good looking boy, Zabini, I'm sure no one would mind snogging him."

Harry blushed again and asked, "Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Want to snog me?"

It was Draco's turn to blush now. "And if I did? You've clearly taken up with Blaise."

Harry's heart softened at the bitter words the other boy spoke. "I haven't taken up with anyone."

"What was all that then? You two tickle fighting again?" Draco asked sarcastically.

Blaise sighed and said, "Look, Harry, Draco fancies you, and Daphne won't put out. I think we know what our options are at the moment."

"I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot wand, Zabini," Draco sneered.

Blaise said back, "The feeling is mutual."

Harry frowned, feeling light-headed. "Now hold on, who said I wanted to shag either of you?"

Blaise and Draco shared a look. "Why wouldn't you want to shag me?" Blaise asked, as if the idea had never occurred to him.

"Because we're not in a relationship!"

"We're friends," Blaise said defensively.

"Yeah, friends. Friends don't usually shag each other."

Blaise grinned. "Well, why not then?"

Harry gaped at him. "Because... Well, they just don't."

Sighing, Draco came over to the bed and grabbed one of the potions. "I," he said, "am much too sober for this conversation."

While Harry was a bit distracted tracking Draco's movements, Blaise rolled on top of him again. "Come on, Harry, just a minute ago you were practically begging me to fuck you," he said, beginning to kiss Harry's neck again.

"I was not!"

Draco sat up on his knees on the bed next to the two of them. Harry's eyes were glazed over in lust as Blaise's lips on his neck grew more insistent. His hips were writhing under Blaise, even as he said, "I'm not going to... I'm not easy. You can't just..."

He trailed off, looking to his right to see Draco's gaze fixed intensely on him. He blushed and shoved his hips upwards in an attempt to get Blaise off, who just moaned and moved his own hips against Harry's.

Draco didn't take his eyes off them as Harry saw him down two more potions. As his mind fogged and his heart started to race, Harry saw Draco leaned down and shoved Blaise gently to one side, attaching his lips to Harry's own soft, pink ones.

Kissing Draco was nothing like kissing Cedric or Blaise. He kissed with a passion that Harry couldn't place. Harry moaned sweetly and heard Blaise mutter an expletive and the sounds that signified a belt being opened and zip being pulled down. He didn't look over in Blaise's direction, but kept all his attention on the lean figure above him, kissing him so nicely.

Then, he moved a hand down to the front of Draco's trousers, finding a rather large lump at the front. "Fuck!" Draco groaned out as Harry began to rub him almost imperceptibly. He covered the hand with his own and pressed down harder, increasing the friction on his trapped erection.

"Take off his clothes, Draco," Harry heard, but kissing Draco seemed much more important at the moment. He darted his tongue out and licked shyly at Draco's, despite the bold way his hand was getting him off through the restraining cloth.

Blaise then startled him out of the Draco-induced trance he'd been in by shoving the boy above him harshly to one side and starting to unbutton his pants. He lay on the bed looking up at them as he let Blaise pull his trousers off him. Draco met his gaze hotly as he slipped his hands under his shirt and pushed it up and off.

Then suddenly, Harry's cock was engulfed in moist heat. He looked down and saw Blaise looking up at him with dark eyes as he sucked tightly on his cock. "Oh, fuck!" Harry cried, both hands tangling in Blaise's dark curls and moving his hips along with Blaise's small bobbing motions.

He saw Draco staring and was overcome by the need to touch him. "You," he started, panting, "You too."

Draco clearly had some trouble understanding what Harry meant for a moment, but seemed to get the gist when Harry untangled a hand from Blaise's hair and put it down the front of his opened trousers. Draco's mouth dropped open at the flesh on flesh contact and Harry heard him moan when his cock was brought out into the open and he started a slow rhythm of pulling.

Draco wrapped his own hand around Harry's and increased the pace of his hand. Harry moaned when he saw Blaise's hand between his legs moving quickly as he sucked Harry's cock and tightened his grip on the cock in his palm, Draco's hand soon following suit around his fingers.

They continued like this for a few moments until Harry's hand stopped moving altogether on Draco's cock as his hips lifted off the bed and his other hand pressed Blaise's head flat to his abdomen. He shook in orgasm for a few mesmerizing seconds and then flopped back down on the bed, sated.

Blaise brought one of his hands, covered in his own come, up to Harry's mouth and Harry dutifully stuck his tongue out and lapped softly.

For some reason, the sight of Harry sucking the come off of Blaise's fingers seemed to really do something for Draco, because he pulled Harry up by the arm and shoved his head down to his cock. "Suck it," he said roughly.

Harry looked up with wide green eyes and Blaise just smirked and lay down on the bed next to them, clearly sated.

Harry moved Draco's hand away from where it had wrapped around himself and wrapped his own fingers around the base, wasting no time and swallowing Draco down as far as he could take him.

Draco started to come almost immediately. Harry's eyes widened in surprise as he felt the first spurt on his tongue, but he continued sucking until the last of Draco's shudders had subsided. He pulled his lips up and off his cock and licked gently at the head, where some come had gathered.

Draco pushed Harry away gently from his sensitive flesh and flopped back on the bed, panting.

"You must have lasted an entire thirty seconds, Draco, congratulations," Blaise said sarcastically, grinning at him. Draco didn't have the strength or desire to think of a comeback, so he settled on sneering lightly at him as Harry cast quick cleaning charms on the three of them.

After he was satisfied that all the uncomfortable stickiness had vanished, Harry clambered over Blaise to get off the bed and to Draco's closet on the other side of the room. He blushed as he felt two pairs of eyes roaming over his naked body as he crossed the room, but didn't turn around. He searched around in Draco's drawers for clothes for him to sleep in, as he didn't feel like going back to his room to get his own.

He sighed agitatedly when he was reminded yet again how much smaller he was than Draco, as the clothes he got for the three of them fit Draco and Blaise perfectly, but swamped him. He told them as much and they just laughed.

Draco came closer so that his arms now overlapped Blaise's over Harry. "You are not a gnome, Harry," he said chuckling.

"Yeah, you're more like a cute little pixie," Blaise said, and Harry flushed at the compliment, despite his annoyance at the condescending words.

Sandwiched between them, Harry felt more comfortable than he thought he'd ever felt before. He dreaded the morning, when Blaise's high will have worn off and he wouldn't want to cuddle with him anymore and Draco would go back to his studies. He felt a hand that had been on the small of his back make its way up the inside of his shirt to his ticklish sides.

He wiggled a little in their grasp, laughing softly, and he heard Draco say, "Don't start that shit, I'm too tired."

Blaise laughed and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Harry felt the fingers press even harder into his sides and he squealed, legs kicking out and narrowly missing kneeing Draco in the groin.

"Stop," Draco groaned and Blaise laughed again.

"Harry, stop moving about, Draco is trying to sleep."

Draco pulled Harry closer to him, shoving Blaise hands off of Harry. "Get the fuck out of my bed if you can't control yourself, Zabini."

Blaise only laughed and pulled Harry back. "Okay, I'll stop, I swear."

In the darkness of Draco's room, Harry felt a bit like a rag doll being pulled back and forth between two spoiled children. "Stop tugging on me," he whined.

"Then stop wriggling away from me."

"I'll send you both out in a minute."

They continued like this until Harry fell asleep.

When he woke in the morning he found that Blaise had gone back to his own room, but Draco was still spooned against his back. The early morning sun peeked through the heavy blue curtains on Draco's windows and he turned in his arms, with some difficulty, to face Draco, finding him still asleep and snoring lightly.

"Draco, wake up," he whispered, looking into Draco's face. He looked a like an angel, blond hair framing his face as he slept peacefully. The gap between this gentle Draco and the usual prickly, obnoxious boy he knew made him smile.

He reached his hand up and shook him lightly. "Draco, it's morning. We should go get Blaise and eat breakfast, or something."

Draco groaned and pulled him closer, burying his face in Harry's neck. "Go back to sleep, Potter."

Harry sighed and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Shut up."

–

Upon their return to Hogwarts, Harry found that he started sleeping in Draco's bed more often than he did in his own bed. Since their last night at the Manor, he hadn't gotten off with Blaise and Draco together, but he found himself wanting to. Badly.

It was a bit of a problem though. Because Draco had no time for him during the day, what with his annoyingly Hermione-esque studying habits, and Blaise had stopped taking the potions as much, thus making him much less receptive to Harry's advances.

About quarter way through the term, Harry found that he'd exhausted his potion supply once again. He got headaches constantly and his frequent irritability was starting to affect his relationship with Ron and Hermione, and even his guardians.

Sirius and Remus had even invited him to their quarters one evening for 'a talk', which Harry politely declined, as he was sure they wanted to talk to him about his decreased performance in his work. He felt bad for distancing himself from them the way he had started to since he started spending more time with Blaise and Draco; but they were sort of like his parents, and this thing happened with teenagers and their parents at his age. Right? Anyway, they were forever questioning him about Blaise and Draco's 'influences' and he was quite frankly sick of everyone telling him what to do.

One night, he crawled into bed with Draco, pulling the curtains closed behind him. He was already asleep, but Harry shook him awake.

Draco opened bleary eyes to look at him. "What's wrong, Harry?" he asked, voice croaking sleepily.

"I'm stressed out," Harry said, snuggling into Draco's chest, not wanting to look him in the eye. He felt embarrassed for wanting Draco's arms around him, comforting him when really there was nothing wrong. He needed to stop being so dependent on the stupid potions anyway, so it was a good thing he was out.

"What have you got to be stressed out about?" Draco asked, arms wrapping around Harry and eyes closing once more.

"I want to get high," Harry whined, and Draco laughed slightly.

"You're not the only one. I can barely concentrate on studying now without those potions."

"Studying is all you think about," Harry grumbled.

"Are you calling me a swot, Potter?"

"You said it, not me."

"I'm sorry if I want to get good grades. We sit our O.W.L.s in a few weeks."

Harry groaned softly. "I don't think I'm going to get a single one."

Draco sighed and said, "Don't worry about it just this minute. Go to sleep."

Harry smiled into his chest and said, "I love it when you're sweet to me."

Draco opened one eye and managed to look affronted through his sleepiness. "I'll have you know, Potter, that I make it a personal goal of mine to be sweet every day of my life."

"You mean like yesterday, when you took away house points from that first year Gryffindor for no reason?"

"Rude little shit deserved it."

"You need to stop abusing your powers as a prefect."

"You mean we should stop shagging in the prefects' bathroom?"

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Of course not."

"But still, you could be kinder to the younger kids."

"Go to sleep, Harry."


	4. Part IV

 

**IV.**

_"Harry, please stop."_

_"Shut up! And don't try any spells either, because I'll be dead in a second," Harry said, bottom lip trembling._

_Draco sighed. "Harry, you're high."_

_"I'm not!"_

_"If you were sober, you would realize that as soon as you slit your wrists I would just apparate us to St. Mungo's and you'd be healed in a minute."_

_Harry pressed his wand against his own wrist even harder, trying and failing to keep his eyes fixed on Draco's face. His concentration kept faltering._

_-_

Draco inhaled the line he'd just cut and shook his head hard afterwards. "Fuck, Blaise, why haven't we been doing this sooner?"

Blaise smirked and said, "I didn't think you two could handle it."

Harry was almost out of it as his head lolled around in Blaise's lap. "Muggle drugs..." he started, "Muggle drugs are amazing."

Blaise looked down at him curiously. "Muggle drugs?"

"Seen this in films," he said, eyes sliding closed.

Blaise and Draco shared an uncomprehending look. Blaise raised an eyebrow at him and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't see what Muggle drugs have to do with anything."

"But I've seen it, before. The Muggles do this all the time."

Draco rolled his eyes, which were already bloodshot. "You must be confused, Harry. I highly doubt Muggles are sophisticated enough to develop something as amazing as this... what it's called again?"

"Cocaine."

"That's what they call it too!" Harry said eagerly.

"Whatever, Harry. Look, here," Draco said, bringing the book they were doing lines on under Harry chin and handing him the small piece of rolled up parchment they were using to inhale it.

Harry inhaled deeply and then looked up at Blaise from where he was on his knees on the carpeted floor, who was sitting up with his legs hanging off Draco's bed.

"I'm horny," he announced suddenly, face moving lightly against the slight bulge in Blaise's trousers.

Both Blaise and Draco grinned. So far, after they'd tried every new drug Blaise had managed to get sent, Harry had asked them for sex. It was only the second week into the summer and Draco had fucked Harry more times than he could count.

Harry laced his fingers through Blaise's and scrambled up on the bed, pulling Blaise along with him.

"Let's have sex," he said earnestly, straddling Blaise who now lay against the headboard of the bed. Blaise took Harry's face in his hands and kissed him, finding that Harry as usual didn't have much patience in his drugged up state. He was already writhing on top of him, and he broke the kiss off to pull off his shirt.

"Fuck," Draco muttered, climbing up on the bed after them.

Harry got down on all fours facing Blaise and undid his trousers. He stopped him when he made to pull them off completely and said, "No time, want to suck you off."

Blaise moaned and gritted his teeth as Harry pulled out his now fully hard cock and sucked carelessly on the underside, two fingers playing with the tip. Then, he licked a stripe up to the head and took just that in his mouth, sucking wetly and looking up into Blaise's eyes. A small burst of pre-come burst across Harry's palate and he made a small, pleased noise.

Blaise moaned again and took Harry's hair in his hands, shoving him down harshly, forcing him to take him in deeper. "Get over here and fuck him, Malfoy," he said through gritted teeth.

"Already on it," Draco said, fisting his cock slowly and pulling Harry's pants down his hips.

As that perfect, round arse came into view, Draco ran his free hand across the surface lightly. Harry didn't look back at him, but swayed his hips enticingly. Draco massaged one cheek lightly as he pulled himself off and saw Harry lift off of Blaise's cock, still stroking wetly, as he impatiently demanded for Draco to fuck him.

Draco grabbed his wand and muttered the spell that slicked Harry's insides, making Harry jump a bit at the unexpected wetness. He removed his hand from his cock and parted Harry cheeks, running his index finger lightly over the puckered entrance he found there.

He tried to start preparing Harry, but Blaise groaned out, "He got fucked this morning, he'll be fine, just get on with it." Harry didn't seem to have any objections to that, so he lined his dripping cock up and started moving inside with short jabs.

Harry pulled off Blaise's cock again throw his head back and keen as Draco's cock parted its way inside him. The sound made both Draco and Blaise groan.

"You like when we fuck you, Harry?" Blaise growled, harshly shoving Harry's mouth back down around him. Harry hummed his answer around his cock, making Blaise moan and move his hips faster to meet the bobbing motions of Harry's head.

"That bloody Hufflepuff never did this to you, did he?" Draco said, hips rolling into Harry's backside quickly to make a wet slapping noise that only served to make the three of them hotter. Harry didn't reply, but they both knew that Harry had never gone this far with his ex-boyfriend. He'd told them as much when they'd first tried to fuck him.

Harry made a soft noise and sat up on his arms, dislodging Blaise's cock from him mouth. He used the new leverage to move his hips back to meet every push of Draco's hips. Harry was sure that if Draco's bed wasn't so massive, it'd be hitting the wall to the pace of their sex.

Harry wrapped a hand around Blaise's cock, too far gone to focus on sucking it properly, and moved his wrist rapidly until the hard cock in his fist jumped and spurted come between his fingers and on Blaise's torso. Not missing a beat, Harry leaned down and licked it off of Blaise's smooth skin, feeling the cock still twitching a bit under his chin. Then he licked the remainders of it off of his fingers, keeping eye contact with Blaise.

"You're a little slut," Blaise told him roughly before he took his mouth into a sloppy kiss. The thought of Blaise being able to taste himself from kissing him nearly sent Harry spiralling down into his own orgasm. Draco's cock continually brushing against his prostate on every stroke inward wasn't helping either, so he ended the kiss with Blaise and pulled off of Draco's cock.

Draco whined and his cock slapped wetly against his flat belly as Harry turned over on his back, looking up into Draco's lust-darkened eyes. He pulled his knees up, exposing himself to Draco, who wasted no time sliding back in and resuming the rhythm they'd set earlier.

Blaise found the discarded textbook on the ground and Summoned it, along with one of the pouches of cocaine and the rolled up parchment. The couple fucking next to him jostling the bed made it difficult for him to cut the lines smoothly, but it was good enough.

He snorted two, then three lines as Draco ploughed Harry into the mattress. Harry's soft mewls were turning into high-pitched keening as they both raced to their completion. Then suddenly, Draco pulled out of Harry and moved over to kneel over his face. His hand was a blur on his cock as Harry obediently stuck his tongue out to catch the spurts of come that shot out.

Then, Blaise watched as Draco dropped so that his fingers pushed up into the hole he'd just vacated and his tongue pushed into Harry's mouth in a similar fashion. Three fingers twisted and curled against Harry's prostate as a hand pulled him off, so it wasn't long before he was crying out his release into Draco's mouth.

Afterward, Draco and Harry continued to kiss lazily on the bed. Blaise saw them break apart every now and then to murmur words of affection to each other that they wouldn't normally speak while sober.

"I fancy you so much, Harry," Draco said softly, pecking Harry gently on the lips.

"Mm, me too. Can I sleep in here again tonight?"

"Yeah, we should clean up a bit first though."

"Don't want to move. Too comfy."

"I know. Let's just stay here for a little while."

Blaise rolled his eyes. He really couldn't reconcile the bickering pair of just a few hours ago with the lovebirds on the bed. It seemed that every time they got high, they fancied themselves in love. It was for the best, he supposed, that they distanced themselves from him a bit with their sporadic bouts of "true love". They couldn't keep up this sex forever, and Daphne was getting more and more insistent on his time.

But he'd damn well enjoy it for the rest of the time he had with them that summer, that was for sure.

The sex was good, after all.

–

Harry supposed it was a good thing he and Draco were now in a "relationship", because all his other friends seemed to have gone and deserted him. Or rather, thought that _he'd_ deserted _them_.

Things had been tense between him, Ron, and Hermione since he'd gotten back. Even Remus and Sirius seemed upset with him, if the way Sirius had yelled at him about not writing to them was anything to go by.

On the first Saturday of their sixth year, Harry went to the library in search of Hermione, who he found at a table talking to Ron in hushed whispers about something over some books. When he approached, they went quiet.

He tried starting up a conversation about classes, and then Quidditch, but this was apparently the last straw for Ron, who burst out with, "We know what you've been up to with those Slytherin gits!"

Harry blushed so hard he thought even his toes had to be bright red. Images flashed through his mind; him sitting on Blaise's cock and pulling Draco off, Draco and Blaise alternating between taking turns fucking him and doing lines of cocaine, kissing Draco heavily in bed while Blaise slept next to them.

"What are you talking about?" he asked coolly, hoping that he would for once be able to pull off the Slytherin nonchalance his housemates were so good at.

Ron glared at him, his own face red, and Hermione sighed, looking worried.

"How long has this been going on, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at him.

"Well, I'll be able to tell you when you tell me what you're on about."

"You see, Hermione, I told you he'd cover for them! This proves it, we need to go find those two, have them arrested–""

"Arrested?" Harry said incredulously.

"Yes, arrested! Colin saw what they were up to on the train!"

Harry racked his brain to the train journey back to school. He didn't think they'd done anything sexual, but then again he'd been so high he could hardly...

Then he understood.

He remembered Draco and Blaise doing lines in front of him as he begged them to stop. He'd already had too much on the train and wanted to make it last for at least most of the term, but they had insisted on doing "just a little more." He imagined what Colin must have thought he'd seen walking by, hearing just a bit of the conversation.

"Be quiet, Ron!" Hermione snapped, then she focused her attention back on Harry. "Drugs are illegal in the wizarding world as well, Harry. Draco and Blaise could get in serious trouble for this, definitely expelled at the least."

Harry felt a cold pang of fear go through him. He didn't even bother with any pretences of innocence; he'd never be able to fool Hermione.

"Please don't tell Dumbledore," he pleaded, eyes moving between Hermione and Ron frantically. "Please, I... Just, please don't tell anyone."

Hermione's face was uncertain, but Ron's was just as angry as before. "I see no reason why I shouldn't march up to the Headmaster's office right now and have both of them expelled. You hardly answer any of our letters this summer, ignore us when you finally see us–"

"I thought you were upset with me!"

"And I learn it's because those Slytherin bastards have been corrupting you with drugs!"

"Nobody's _corrupted_ me, Ron!"

"So you admit you're taking them too, then?"

Harry groaned in frustration, looking at Hermione helplessly. She seemed uncharacteristically unsure of herself.

"I think I agree with Ron, Harry. We're both very worried about you."

"I'm _fine_ , nothing is wrong."

"If you start doing those drugs, or if you are already, I don't know what... It's just dangerous, Harry. Surely you can see that."

"And if I am, Hermione? Are you going to get me expelled as well?"

Ron and Hermione both looked startled. Apparently they hadn't considered this.

"I know what I'm doing, you don't have to worry about me," Harry said gently.

"That's what I'm worried about, Harry. You always think you know what you're doing."

"But I _do_."

"This isn't some game, Harry! It's serious!" Ron said as loudly as he could without bringing someone over to their table to quiet them. Harry worried his bottom lip between his teeth. It did all seem like a fun game he'd been allowed to play with Draco and Blaise, although obviously it wasn't. But it wasn't as if he was addicted.

"Just... don't say anything. I'll go talk to Colin, and nobody had to know about this, okay?" he said, getting up from the table. He smiled at them as he left, but it was strained and they didn't smile back.

It wasn't hard to find Colin. The fifth year was taking pictures of the Quidditch team practising on the pitch. He jumped when Harry poked him gently in the back.

"Hi, Harry," Colin said with none of his usual enthusiasm. He seemed nervous, if anything. "What's up?"

"You have to tell me exactly what you saw in my compartment on the train, Colin," Harry said, seeing no point in beating around the bush.

Colin's nervous smile dropped. After a moment, he said, "You were with Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, go on."

"You were," Colin hesitated, looking bitter, "sitting in Malfoy's lap and he was trying get you to do cocaine off of the table, but you said no."

"How do you know for sure what you saw?" Harry said, looking insistently at Colin.

"I think I know what cocaine looks like, Harry, I've seen films before."

Harry was almost offended at Colin's use of sarcasm. He'd never been sarcastic to him before.

"Just don't tell anyone else, alright?"

Colin looked doubtful.

"I could get expelled," Harry said urgently.

"But, Harry, it's not right what they're doing. You're their friend, they're supposed to be setting a good example for you."

Harry blushed. "I'm a big boy, Colin, I don't need anyone to set a good example for me."

Colin sighed and ran a hand through his mousy brown hair. "I just... I like you a lot, Harry. I don't want to see you get hurt."

_Fuck, not again_ , Harry thought irritably.

"I really like you. I wish you would give me the time of day even just once."

"Look, Colin, you're very sweet and handsome and all that, but–"

"But?" Colin asked earnestly, suddenly much closer to Harry than he was comfortable with. "If I'm sweet, and handsome, then what's the problem?"

"Erm..." Harry mumbled, looking into Colin's ever-hopeful brown eyes. "You're just too young for me Colin," he said lamely.

To his surprise, Colin rolled his eyes. "I'm not even a full year younger than you. And I'm taller than you as well, so if anything I look older than you."

Harry bristled. Colin was not taller than him by all that much! "I'm seeing someone else, Colin."

Then, Colin wrapped his arms around Harry's waist, pulling him flush to his body. "You're lying. You're just trying to find any reason not to go on a date with me."

"I'm not lying!" Harry said indignantly. "For your information, I'm seeing Draco Malfoy."

He was let go suddenly and he stumbled back, nearly falling to the ground. Colin looked at him with eyes that were angrier than Harry thought they had any right to be. "He's not good for you, Harry."

"How would you know?"

"Well, he's trying to get you to do drugs, for one!"

"You don't know what you're talking about Colin," Harry said glaring at him. "I have somewhere to be. If you want to have me expelled, go right ahead and tell the Headmaster what you think you saw. Or better yet, tell my guardians. I'm sure Sirius and Remus will love to hear what a bad child I've been when they weren't looking."

With that, Harry fled back to the Slytherin common room.

Then, when he thought his day couldn't get any worse, he saw that Blaise and Daphne were canoodling on one of the leather couches. His blood boiled with jealousy.

"...your letters, babe," he heard Blaise say from his place behind a pillar just behind them.

"But I didn't get them!" Daphne whined, scooting further into Blaise's arms. Harry wanted to rip her long, golden locks out, if only to get Blaise to stop running them through his fingers like they were made of silk, or something.

Blaise smirked, "I was pretty busy, Daph. Besides, didn't I come spend the rest of the summer with you like I said?"

She simpered something back to him and Harry thought moodily, _Busy indeed_ , remembering exactly all the different kinds of "busy" Blaise had been.

He came out from behind the pillar and went into their dormitory, unnoticed by the couple on the couch. He wanted to have a few potions (Blaise kept the harder stuff locked in his trunk, the bastard) and mope in bed until dinner, but he was pleasantly surprised to find Draco on his bed, studying.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked, removing his shoes and socks and making his way to his own bed. He would have preferred to lie next to Draco and moan about his day, but there were books spread out across his bed and Draco seemed to be in full swot mode.

Draco glanced up at him and said, "Sitting on a few dragon eggs while I amuse myself with some light reading, why do you ask?"

Harry smiled a little and rolled his eyes, "I meant, why aren't you studying in the library, or under a tree somewhere."

"If you'd really like to know, Potter, I was in the library, but your Mudblood and her ginger friend came in so I left."

"The library is big enough for the three of you, Draco."

"Well, maybe I just wanted to be by myself for a bit."

Harry hummed and asked, "Should I leave then?"

"You're fine. I was just about to take a break to look for you, actually."

Harry's heart fluttered. "I want to ask Blaise to unlock the trunk, but he's in the common room trying to get into Greengrass' pants."

Draco smirked and said, "I guess he'll have to settle for an inferior piece of arse, now that you're no longer on the market."

"I don't know what you're on about, I am very much still on the market. As a matter of fact, I've been asked on a date just this afternoon."

Draco's eyes turned angry and Harry tried not to laugh. "Who's been asking you on dates?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, it matters. I don't share, Potter."

At that, Harry did laugh. "I think it's been made abundantly clear that you do, in fact, share."

Draco got off of his bed and came to sit on Harry's. "I don't share what belongs to me. You didn't belong to me, then."

"And I belong to you now?"

"Yes," Draco said simply and kissed Harry.

Harry was rolled over unto his back as Draco settled between his thighs. He wrapped his legs around the bigger boys' hips as the kiss got more heated.

"Do we have time?" Draco asked against his mouth, already unbuttoning his trousers.

Harry nodded eagerly, "Dinner's not for a few more hours."

"I want to fuck you," Draco said heatedly, shucking off his pants and lifting off of Harry so that he could do the same. Their clothes fell off the side of the bed as they tossed it away haphazardly.

Draco lay back on top of him, already grinding their erections together.

"Close the curtains, stupid," Harry hissed. Draco did as told and then the two of them got under the covers, kissing again.

"Mm, not going to beg me to finger you?" Draco asked, smirking at Harry's blush. That wasn't one of his prouder moments. He'd done a few lines before bed and had ended up crawling into Draco's bed in the middle of the night, begging for sex.

Draco had claimed (falsely) that he was too tired to get it up so Harry had begged him to put his fingers inside him and get him off. Draco had laughed himself silly at the ridiculousness of the situation, but still ended up fucking him into the mattress with all their dorm mates sleeping around them.

"Stop bringing that up," he ordered futilely, shutting up any retort Draco might have had by kissing him soundly.

They were quickly caught up in the moment, and Harry soon found himself being penetrated by Draco's thick, unfaltering cock.

"Fuck!" he cried out, throwing his head back against the pillow. They built a quick rhythm of Draco moving forward and Harry rocking downwards to meet him.

Draco bent down and put his mouth on Harry's, sucking on his bottom lip as his hips moved rhythmically between his legs.

Harry spread his legs further apart and Draco hiked his hips upwards, tilting him to receive more of his cock pounding inside of him. Harry's eyes closed with pleasure and he tilted his head so his cheek rested on the cool pillow, exposing the side of his neck to Draco who licked a long stripe across it and began sucking softly.

Draco got up on his knees and used his legs for leverage to thrust, causing every surge of his hips to hit directly on the spot that made Harry arch his back and keen.

"Coming," Harry mumbled desperately, eyes squeezed tight at the intensity of his oncoming orgasm.

Draco increased the speed just that much to put Harry over the edge and Harry came with a wordless cry, squeezing Draco's hips tightly between his legs. He put his hands on Draco's hips and stopped them at the deepest point of penetration, rocking his hips up furiously to massage his prostate with the cock inside him.

When he finished spurting in between them, he relaxed against the bed. Draco started back the movement of his hips, the rhythm lost in his desperation to come. Harry smiled up at him and rocked his hips back against his forward motions.

Draco looked down at Harry, mouth slightly open as he raced towards his own orgasm. "Nearly there," he panted out, "Squeeze around me."

Harry did as told and Draco cried out loudly. He did it again, and then Draco pushed as far as he could go inside Harry and froze, hips shuddering against Harry's arse as he came.

After Draco's orgasm subsided and he pulled out, Harry wasted no time in grabbing his wand and cleaning them up. Draco paid the sudden disappearance of the stickiness no mind and kissed Harry, pulling him as close as he could into his arms.

The room was dark as they kissed behind the bed curtains. Draco broke apart, sweaty blond hair stuck to his forehead, and looked at Harry's outline next to him.

"Do you miss him?" he whispered, grateful Harry couldn't see his face in the dark, as he was sure he was blushing. He didn't realize that his voice carried unspoken emotions that let Harry read vulnerability even without being able to see his face.

"Miss who?" Harry asked, stroking the side of Draco's face tenderly.

"Blaise."

Harry looked at him strangely, even though he knew the other boy couldn't see it. "Blaise hasn't gone anywhere."

"No, I mean being with him. Like this."

Harry pondered the question. "A bit," he said honestly. The last time he'd had sex with Blaise was the night before he'd left to spend the rest of the summer with Daphne Greengrass. They'd spent the night having sex and Harry was ashamed to admit he'd cried buckets of tears the morning he'd left, though he knew he'd be seeing Blaise in a little over a month.

"I'm glad it's just us now, though," Harry said quickly. And he was. He'd been upset that Blaise had been carrying on a relationship with her while still having sex with him, but he'd soon got over it as he and Draco became closer over the summer. What they had felt almost like a real relationship now. Almost.

"It's weird though," Harry mused.

Draco made a curious noise. "How so?" he asked.

"Well, I know I'm not exactly an expert at relationships, but I don't think this is how it works."

"What are you talking about?"

"I just mean that I thought that sex came after you starting dating. Not before."

"It's not like we're the most conventional people, Harry."

"I just feel like there was no... build-up."

"Build-up? What, were you expecting me to court you? Bring you flowers? Serenade you under the moon, maybe?"

Blushing, Harry punched Draco weakly in the arm. "No, you idiot. I just meant that... I don't know what I meant."

"Don't worry, I understand. You've been in love with me for so long that now the inevitable has happened, you don't know what to do with yourself."

"Shut up."

Draco wrapped his arms around Harry and he could feel him grinning against his shoulder. "I don't think you want me to shut up, Potter. I think you want me to cuddle you, and hold hands with you, and declare my love for you."

Harry blushed again. Those things sounded nice, actually, not that he'd ever admit it.

"If I wanted to date a Hufflepuff, I would."

"That worked out well for you the last time," Draco said sarcastically.

Despite himself, Harry laughed. He was almost impervious to jokes about Cedric, especially now that he'd left Hogwarts.

They both sat up and started the awkward process of putting their clothes back on while sitting mostly vertical.

Once they were both dressed, Draco spelled the lights back on and stretched. "Fuck, I want to get high before dinner. Where is Blaise?"

"Probably fucking in the prefects' bathroom."

Draco sighed and said, "I guess it's just the potions for tonight."

Harry nodded and made to go for the potions he had in his trunk, when he remembered the conversation he had had that afternoon in the library.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you!" he said suddenly, startling Draco, who was already on his third potion, if the discarded bottles were anything to go by.

"Fuck, what is it?"

Harry told Draco of the confrontation he'd had with Ron and Hermione and the conversation he'd had with Colin and Draco seemed to be listening intently. So it was to his surprise that the first thing he said when the story was over was, "That Creevey still thinks he has a shot at you? I thought you'd made it completely clear the last time that you weren't interested."

Harry gaped at him. "Aren't you worried?"

Draco snorted and said, "Why should I be? Your goody-two-shoes friends aren't going to get you in trouble, Harry."

"But what if word gets back to your dad or something?"

"Then I'd be dead meat. But it won't, so stop worrying about it. I'm sure even Professor Black and Professor Lupin did some questionable things in their time at Hogwarts. Fuck, even Dumbledore can't be innocent. They're not going to expel us over something Colin _thought_ he saw through a tiny window on a moving train."

"No, but if they search our dorm–" Harry started tentatively, wondering if Draco was really as right as he seemed to think he was.

"Snoop around Lucius Malfoy's son's room without permission? Even if they were looking for contraband, that's a violation of so many privacy laws. My father would not be pleased about that. He'd be even less pleased about the accusation against my character."

Harry sighed as they entered the common room. It was empty, as everyone seemed to have left for dinner already. "You seem awfully sure of yourself, Draco."

"Because I _am_ sure. We won't be expelled, Harry. Honestly, of all the ideas. My father is a school governor you know, they can't just expel me."

Harry decided not to question Draco. His arrogance, as always, bordered on stupidity, but there was truth in some of his statements. They wouldn't get into any trouble. And besides, he planned on being extra careful and only using when he absolutely needed to. He didn't plan on becoming addicted to this stuff at all. He had too much at stake for that.

No, he'd only use when he needed to stay up or when he was stressed out. Then, after exams, he'd wean himself off completely. As he sat at the Slytherin table, listening to Draco babble on to everyone about something or other, he resolved to tell Ron and Hermione his plan. Well, he'd present it as Draco and Blaise's plan, as he still didn't know if they were sure he was using.

It didn't matter. He had his plan in place, Christmas was coming up, and his sixth year was going to be great. His seventh year as well, for that matter. He had a new (sort of) boyfriend who was going to help him study for the N.E.W.T.s, so he'd be on track to become an Auror, or whatever job he eventually decided to do.

It might have just been the potions he'd ended up taking before they came to dinner, but Harry felt optimistic. The future would work itself out.


	5. Epilogue

**V.**

"I'll do it, I swear!"

"For the love of– _Accio_ wand."

Harry cried out as his wand was torn from his hand and into Draco's. A sense of hopelessness washed over him as his wand was pocketed and Draco approached him. Harry backed himself even further against the wall and yelled at him, "Don't come any closer. I'll jump out the window!"

"The window is on the other side of the room and you know it's protected against accidents."

Draco knelt on the floor next to him and took Harry into his arms. Harry whimpered and he pushed his hands weakly against his chest.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I love you."

Harry pushed stronger, though he knew he was smaller and it would do no good.

"You don't love me. I hate you. I fucking hate you." Harry said, giving up fighting and relaxing into Draco's embrace, hands hanging limply at his sides.

"Harry, don't say that. I'll get help. I'll get us both help. We'll talk to the psychology wizards again, we'll–"

"Don't want to talk to them," Harry said petulantly, sniffling into Draco's chest.

"They understand, Harry," Draco whispered insistently, gently stroking Harry's hair.

Harry suddenly ripped away, startling Draco, whose hands dropped down into his lap. "You're not dragging us to any of those fucking meetings again. I won't go!" Harry said furiously, pulling two potions out of his pocket.

Draco swallowed nervously, looking down at Harry weakly. "No, Harry. You're high, you're not thinking straight."

Harry shrugged and leaned against the wall, removing the cork of the first, and then the second potion, the last two he hadn't taken before Draco had burst into the bathroom he'd been holed up in. Draco squeezed his eyes shut, leaning back heavily against the wall. "For fucks sake, Harry, me doing this is what you were just threatening to kill yourself over."

"Don't make me laugh, as if you managed to overdose on potions alone."

Draco sighed and snatched one of the potions from Harry's hand. He tilted his head back and poured it in. He shook his head, blond hair falling rakishly into his eyes. "Stop acting so fucking innocent, Harry," he said as Harry took the second potion. "You're supposed to be sober as well, you know."

"I _am_ sober."

"You're still hooked on these fucking potions!"

"They don't count! I managed to stop the coke and the other stuff, don't I get any credit for that?"

Draco just sighed and didn't say anything. They lay there, on the floor of their bathroom, feeling every bit the dysfunctional couple they were often told they were. After a while, Draco said, "I _was_ working. I just met up with Blaise and things kind of went from there."

"Blaise just happened to be hanging around in the north of France, right?"

"As a matter of fact, he was in France, and we decided to catch up."

"Find another pretty boy with green eyes to share, did you?" Harry said, getting up to leave. Draco pulled him back down, crashed his lips fiercely down unto Harry's.

When they broke apart, Draco looked down intensely into Harry's eyes. "I didn't fucking cheat on you, alright? Things just got out of hand."

"If things got so fucking out of hand that you ended up in St. Mungo's again, you wouldn't remember if you'd cheated on me or not."

"Stop being so damn dramatic. It was a mistake, Harry! You've heard of those, right? It won't happen again."

"Yeah, that's what you said the last time."

Draco sighed in frustration and put his head in his hands. "You're impossible. Just how many of those potions did you take?"

Harry shrugged. "Enough. That's the last of them, anyway, and I'm not buying any more."

Draco smiled slightly at the proclamation. "That's what you said the last time," he imitated.

"Well, I mean it. I'm almost 22, for fuck's sake, I'm not getting any younger."

"Practically ancient," Draco said dryly, getting up off the floor and pulling Harry up with him. Harry kept talking as they crossed their apartment and into their bedroom.

"I'm being serious. Hermione already has a full-blown career at St. Mungo's and all I have to show is four different rejection letters to Auror training

"You're Harry Potter, they have to let you in eventually."

"Yes, but I have to get clean first."

As they entered the bedroom they both shared, Harry lay down on the bed and Draco started to take off his clothes.

"Merlin, I've just come from the bloody hospital and I feel like I've run a mile already."

Harry didn't say anything. He got under the covers and watched Draco prepare for bed, feeling slightly better for realizing that he was already dressed for bed and didn't have to exert any more energy. He felt like he'd run a mile as well. Draco slid into bed next to him and he scooted away, muttering, "I should make you sleep on the couch."

"Stop being difficult, Harry. You know you're desperate for a cuddle."

"Am not."

"But you're not moving away, are you?"

"'S because you're warm," he mumbled, giving up resisting the arms that were now wrapped around him and stroking up and down his back.

"Don't worry, Harry," Draco murmured into his hair, "Tomorrow is another day to play at being a sober, functioning member of society. Just go to sleep."

So he did. Tomorrow would be better, obviously. Draco seemed to think so, anyway, and it was much easier to believe in Draco's own self-assurance than to worry about things. Tomorrow would work itself out; it always did.

_fin_


End file.
